Adopted by the Monkees
by jhorses
Summary: A girl named Jennifer has her world turned upside down when her parents are killed by a drunk driver. The Monkees want to adopt a teenage girl. Jennifer needs people to help her get through a tragic time. What happens when their paths cross? Will Jennifer become the fifth Monkee? I do not own the Monkees or any song lyrics or titles that appear in this story. I own Jennifer.
1. Adopted by the Monkees

My name is Jennifer. I turned seventeen three months ago. I'm an orphan. My parents and I were in a car accident. A drunk driver hit the front of the car. My parents were killed instantly from the impact. I escaped with only a few bruises. Once paramedics made sure that I was okay, policemen took me to my house to pack all my belongings to take with me to Beacon of Hope Orphanage. I put all my clothes and belongings in a suitcase and was driven to the orphanage. Once we were there, the policemen quietly explained to the owner what happened before leaving me. A woman in her mid-thirties approached me. "Hi sweetie. My name is Megan. I run this place. I'm so sorry about what happened to your parents. What's your name," she asked. "Jennifer," I told her. "That's a pretty name. How old are you," Megan asked. "Seventeen," I answered. "Okay. Let's get you settled into your room and later I can introduce you to some of the girls," Megan replied with a smile. I picked up my suitcase and she led me down the hallway. We stopped at a room on the right. "This will be your room. Today is a big adoption event so don't unpack yet. Who knows, maybe you will be adopted today," Megan said excitedly. I smiled but I was still in a bit of shock.

"You're the oldest girl here at the moment. Lunch was served an hour ago but I'll get you a meal," Megan said as we walked to the cafeteria. She brought me a plate with a turkey sandwich, an apple, a sugar cookie, and a glass of milk. "Do you have any food allergies," Megan asked. "No," I replied. We sat down at a table. I ate my sandwich hungrily. "Tell me a bit about yourself," said Megan. "My favorite color is purple. I love to listen to music and sing. I skipped a grade so I already graduated from high school. I love horses and dogs," I answered. "That's cool," Megan replied. Two small girls ran up to us. "Why didn't you tell us that there's a new girl," they asked. "Because she got here literally ten minutes ago. Jennifer, meet Amy and Bethany," Megan laughed. "It's nice to meet you two," I said. "I'm so excited. Maybe we'll get adopted today," they said excitedly. "That would be very exciting. You girls should get ready for the adoption event. It will be starting soon," Megan replied. Amy and Bethany ran away. I ate the rest of my lunch and freshened up the best that I could. It would be a miracle if I could get adopted today.

**At the Monkees' Pod**

Davy, Micky, Mike, and Peter were sitting around in the living room. "Mike, you've been staring at the wall for the past ten minutes. What's on your mind," asked Davy. "I was thinking maybe it would be nice to adopt a kid," Mike replied. "It could be fun having a kid around," Micky and Davy said. "I wouldn't mind," Peter agreed. "Would we want a boy or a girl," asked MIcky. "I think a girl would be nice. Preferably one around sixteen or seventeen years old," Mike answered. Micky, Davy and Peter nodded. "I saw in the paper that today is a big adoption day at the Beacon of Hope Adoption Center," Peter said. "What are we waiting for? Let's go," they said before getting in the monkeemobile and driving to the adoption center.

**At the Beacon of Hope Adoption Center**

I finished brushing my long brown hair. The other girls and I were told to assemble in the cafeteria. "Older girls on the left. Younger girls on the right," Megan told us. I moved to the left side of the cafeteria and sat near a girl with red hair. "Hi," I said softly. She looked up at me. "Hi. Are you new here? I'm Rebecca," she said. "I just got here a few hours ago. I'm Jennifer," I replied. "Do you mind me asking what your story is," Rebecca asked. "My parents and I were hit by a drunk driver this morning. They were killed instantly," I answered sadly. "I'm so sorry. That happened to my parents too," Rebecca replied sympathetically. "Do you ever get used to not having your parents," I asked. Rebecca sighed. "Yes and no. You learn to accept that they're gone but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with," Rebecca answered. Megan walked into the cafeteria. "It's time for the adoption event to start. I wish all of you good luck," she said happily. Rebecca and I hugged each other and exchanged cell phone numbers. "Whatever happens, don't forget me," Rebecca said tearfully. "I could never forget you," I replied with a smile. Rebecca dried her eyes and we waited anxiously for people to arrive.

**Mike's POV**

We found a parking spot at in the Beacon of Hope parking lot and got out of the car. "Do you think we'll be recognized," Peter asked. "Maybe. There may not be a TV or radio in this place," I answered thoughtfully. Davy, Micky, Peter, and I entered the small brick building. We were greeted by a woman with blond hair. "Welcome to the adoption day! I'm Megan. Do you have any preferences as far as children to adopt," she asked. "Well, we're hoping to adopt a girl around sixteen years old," I answered. "Girls that age will be on the left side of the cafeteria. Let me know if you decide on one that you gentlemen would like to adopt," Megan replied with a smile.

We made our way to the left side of the room. It broke my heart to see so many children without parents to love and take care of them. "Mike, let's talk to the girl with the long brown hair and blue eyes. She seems to be around sixteen," Davy said. The girl he described looked like a lost puppy in this room. We approached her. "Hi. My name is Mike and this is Peter, Davy, and Micky. What's your name," I asked. "I'm Jennifer," she answered. "That's a lovely name. How old are you," Davy asked. "Seventeen," Jennifer replied cheerfully. "What are two of your favorite colors," Peter asked. "Purple and blue," Jennifer replied. "What's your favorite thing to do," asked Micky. "It would have to be between singing and listening to music," she answered. Micky, Davy, Peter, and I exchanged a look. "We'll be back in a few minutes," I told Jennifer.

We walked to a corner of the room. "I think we should adopt her. She is such a sweet girl and since she loves music, I think Jennifer will fit in well," Davy commented. We nodded in agreement and walked back to her. "We've decided that we would love to adopt you. Is that okay with you," I asked excitedly. Her face lit up. "I would love to be adopted by you guys," Jennifer replied with a smile. We smiled. "We're going to fill out your papers with Megan," I said. She got up and ran over to a girl with red hair. They hugged and it looked like they were saying goodbye to each other. Watching made our hearts swell with pride. After a minute, Jennifer came back to us. I put my arm around her back and we walked over to Megan. "We would like to adopt Jennifer," I told her. "Excellent. Jennifer, find your suitcase and wait outside my office. The rest of you, follow me to my office," Megan replied. Jennifer left us and we went inside Megan's office.

"Have a seat," Megan said as she pulled some papers out of a file cabinet. We sat down. "First, we need to do a background check on each of you to make sure that your house will be a safe place for Jennifer. Can you hand me your driver's licenses," asked Megan. We gave her our licenses and she gave them to a man. "Which one of you will be Jennifer's legal guardian," Megan asked. "I will," I answered. I signed the form. "Why was Jennifer sent to this place," Micky asked. "I think that's a question for her. She was sent to this orphanage only this morning so she might still be in shock about what has happened. Don't pressure her into giving information. Some children want to wait until they become more comfortable with their guardian," Megan answered. "Okay," we replied. Megan put a thick file in front of us. "Here is Jennifer's medical history and other important papers. She is allergic to prescription eye drops and gets severe reactions to mosquito bites," Megan informed us. The man that took our licenses entered the office and whispered something to Megan. Megan handed us our drivers licenses. "All of your background checks turned out fine. Jennifer is officially your adopted daughter. Congratulations. Feel free to contact me if you need anything," she said excitedly as she handed us the official papers. "Thank you," we replied and left the office.

**Jennifer's POV**

I closed my suitcase and stood outside Megan's office. I still couldn't believe that I was adopted so quickly. Some kids have to wait years to be adopted. I was really fortunate. The door to the office opened and Megan walked out. "Okay Jennifer, all the paperwork is finished and Mike Nesmith is your legal guardian. Congratulations," she said while hugging me. "Thank you," I replied with a smile. Megan released me from her hug and the men I saw earlier walked into the hallway. "Are you ready to go home with us," the tall man with the green hat asked. "Yes," I replied. I followed them outside to their car. It had "The Monkees" painted on the side. The Monkees are my favorite band. "Are you guys the Monkees," I asked excitedly. "We are," Davy answered. "I love your music," I said. "Thanks. If you like our music, you'll fit in with us for sure," Micky replied. I smiled and sat between Davy and Peter in the backseat. Mike drove us to their pad.

After ten minutes, we were at the pad. "Welcome to your new home," Davy said warmly. I saw that the beach was right next to their house. We went inside. "I'll take your suitcase upstairs," Peter volunteered. "Thank you Peter," I replied. He put it upstairs. "We only have two bedrooms. Is it okay if you share with Davy and me? Of course you will have your own bed," Mike said. "That's fine," I replied. "Let me show you the bedroom," Davy said as he led me upstairs. We walked into the room on the right. "This is our room. Your bed is the one next to the dresser. That dresser is yours. Mike's bed is between our beds. I'll leave you to unpack," Davy said with a smile. He left the room. I began unpacking my clothes and putting them in the top two drawers. I put my bag of personal care items in the third drawer and put everything else in the last drawer.

"How's it going," a voice asked from close by. I looked up and saw Mike leaning on the wall. "I just finished unpacking," I answered. "That was quick. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask, okay," said Mike. "I won't. I think the only thing I need at the moment is some sleep," I replied with a yawn. I stood up and got on my bed. "Okay babe. I'm just going to do some songwriting for our new album called Headquarters," Mike smiled as he sat down on a comfy chair in the room. I closed my eyes.

_"Hey Mom," can we go to the movies this morning," I asked. "Of course honey," she answered. We piled into the car and we began to drive to our local movie theater. We were listening to the radio. Suddenly, we saw a car driving the wrong way and heading straight for us. There wasn't time to swerve out of the way. I heard my parents screaming and felt the impact of the crash. "Mom? Dad," I said anxiously. They didn't reply._

**Mike's POV**

I just finished a song called Sunny Girlfriend. Hopefully we can do a brainstorming session today. I heard something moving. I looked at Jennifer and she was moving around on the bed. I walked over to her bed quietly. She was shaking and I saw tears running down her cheeks. "No," Jennifer yelled in her sleep. I immediately shook her shoulders to wake her from her nightmare. "Shh, it's okay," I kept repeating. Jennifer woke up and started crying. "Come here babe," I said as I pulled her into my chest. Jennifer didn't resist my touch and cried into my shoulder. I rubbed circles into her back. "It's all my fault," she sobbed. "What's your fault," I asked curiously. "I'm the reason they're dead," Jennifer cried. "I think you should start from the beginning," I encouraged. "I asked my parents if we could go to the movies this morning. They said that we could and as we were driving, there was a drunk driver driving the wrong way. He was coming straight at us. There wasn't time to get out of the way. He hit us and my parents were killed instantly. I only survived because I was in the backseat. I can still hear their screams," she shuddered. I closed my eyes. "You didn't know what was going to happen. This isn't your fault," I tried to convince her. She calmed down a bit. "I guess," Jennifer sighed. I gave her a tight hug she stopped crying. All of a sudden, I felt her give me a hug. "You're a great dad," Jennifer said quietly into my ear. I couldn't help but smile. She called me dad. "You're a great daughter," I replied. She smiled. "Let's go downstairs," Jennifer said as she pulled me out of the room. I chuckled.

**Jennifer's POV**

Mike and I walked down the spiral staircase and found Micky, Peter, and Davy sitting around with pads of paper on their laps. "What are you guys doing," I asked excitedly. "We're trying to come up with the last song for the album," Micky answered. "Cool. Do you mind if I try writing something," I asked. "Go ahead," Micky replied and handed me a pad of paper and a pen. Mike made copies of Sunny Girlfriend and was working with Peter on harmonies and the instrumentals. I started thinking of ideas. Then, it came to me.

When the world and I were young,  
Just yesterday.  
Live was such a simple game,  
A child could play.  
It was easy then to tell right from wrong.  
Easy then to tell weak from strong.  
When a man should stand and fight,  
Or just go along.

But today there is no day or night  
Today there is no dark or light.  
Today there is no black or white,  
Only shades of gray.

I remember when the answers seemed so clear  
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.  
It was easy then to tell truth from lies  
Selling out from compromise  
Who to love and who to hate,  
The foolish from the wise.

But today there is no day or night  
Today there is no dark or light.  
Today there is no black or white,  
Only shades of gray.

It was easy then to know what was fair  
When to keep and when to share.  
How much to protect your heart  
And how much to care.

But today there is no day or night  
Today there is no dark or light.  
Today there is no black or white,  
Only shades of gray.  
Only shades of gray.

I looked over the song. I wanted to make some specific details. Before the first verse, there should be a piano intro that is fairly simple. Soft drum rolls would sound nice and maybe a french horn solo. I figured out the pitches and rhythm. I drew them in on staff paper with the words underneath. I decided to call my song "Shades of Gray." I put Shades of Gray at the top of the page. "What have you got over there hotshot," Mike asked peering over my shoulder. "It's a song I was working on just now. You probably wouldn't want to use it," I answered before giving the sheet music to him. Mike looked it over carefully. He seemed really happy with it. "Jennifer, this is incredible," Mike said seriously. "What's incredible," Davy asked. "This song that Jennifer wrote," Mike replied proudly. Davy, Micky, and Peter read it. "Mike, Jennifer isn't your biological daughter but she sure has a talent for songwriting like you," Peter said. Mike and I smiled. Peter worked on the piano and french horn solos and after a few hours we had a finished song. "We're definitely using this for the album. Of course, we will give you credit," Davy told me.

Mike made us spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It was delicious. "If you want, I can cook sometimes," I told Mike. "I appreciate the offer, but it's my job to cook for you not the other way around. If you want to cook though, that's a different story," Mike replied with a grin. I smiled. The Monkees rehearsed You Told Me, Forget That Girl, For Pete's Sake, and Sunny Girlfriend. It was amazing to watch them perform their magic.

At 9:45, I decided to get ready for bed. I went up the spiral staircase and unpacked my toothbrush, toothpaste, and Olay face wipes. I put on my plaid purple and white pajama pants and purple pajama t-shirt. I took the toothpaste, toothbrush, and face wipes to the bathroom and washed my face. I dried my face with a hand towel and brushed my teeth.

I went back to the room I'm sharing with Mike and Davy. I got under the covers and saw Mike walk in. "It's been a busy day for you. Remember, I'm only a bed away if you need anything during the night. Goodnight hotshot," he said as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Mike. Thanks for everything," I replied. "You're more than welcome," Mike smiled. He left the room and Peter walked up to my bed. "I just wanted to say that you have a lot of potential as a songwriter," he said kindly. "Thanks Peter. It means a lot to hear that from you," I replied with a smile. He smiled back at me and walked away. Davy came in and knelt down so that we could see eye-to-eye. "Hey Jennifer. I can't wait to hear that beautiful voice of yours sing sometime. Sweet dreams darling," he said softly in his English accent. I gave a small smile and Davy smiled adorably. His eyes really do twinkle. He kissed my cheek tenderly and went away. Micky came into the room smiling and sat down on my bed. "I figured that you might be a little scared since this is your first night here so I would like to sing a song that was written by my mom," he said before he began to sing.

There's a wonderland for Alice  
There's a tall beanstalk for Jack  
The sleepy train will take you there  
So safely down the track  
With the sandman at the throttle  
You'll be off to dreams and back  
It's pillow time again

You will meet all your storybook friends  
As you go down Mother Goose Lane  
Romp with Jack and Jill  
Up and down the hill  
And try to put Humpty together again

Close your sleepy eyes and listen  
While we take a little hop  
The candy whistle's blowin'  
Don't you miss your station stop  
So good night my wee way fairer  
Pleasant dreams to you, oh tot  
It's pillow time again

You will meet all your storybook friends  
As you go down Mother Goose Lane  
Romp with Jack and Jill, up and down the hill  
And try to put Humpty together again

Close your sleepy eyes and listen  
While we take a little hop  
The candy whistle's blowin'  
Don't you miss your station stop  
So good night my wee way fairer  
Pleasant dreams to you, oh tot  
It's pillow time again

It's pillow time agian...

I felt drowsy and let sleep consume me.

**Micky's POV**

I finished the song and saw that Jennifer was asleep. "Goodnight sweetie," I said softly. I carefully stood up without waking her and turned off the light.


	2. This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My Day

I woke up the next morning and saw that Mike and Davy weren't in the room. I moved my hands over my eyes and put on a pair of flip flops. I went to the bathroom and made sure that I didn't have extreme bed hair. It was slightly curlier than usual but wasn't too bad. After being satisfied with my appearance, I made my way down the spiral staircase. Peter was at the table eating cereal. "Good morning Jennifer," he said cheerfully. "Good morning Peter. Where are the rest of the guys," I asked. "Mike and Davy went shopping for groceries and MIcky is still asleep," Peter answered. I found a box of cereal and poured some into a bowl. I poured some milk into it and put some in a small glass. I brought it to the table and sat down next to Peter. "How did you sleep last night," he asked. I took a few seconds to think about it. "I didn't have any nightmares but I didn't want to have my parents in my dreams," I answered hesitantly. Peter looked at me with a confused look. I knew that I would have to let all of them know sooner or later and then I would be done with telling half of the Monkees. "You see Peter, yesterday my parents were killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. I was lucky to escape with these bruises," I explained as I pointed them out on my upper arms. "Oh, I understand," Peter said with sad eyes. Micky came downstairs and asked me the same question. I told him the same story and Micky put his arm around me. "I'm really sorry to hear that," he said sadly.

Davy and Mike arrived at the pad with groceries. "What's with all the long faces," Mike asked with concern in his voice. "I was just telling them how my parents were killed in a car crash caused by the drunk driver," I explained with a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that was why you were up for adoption," Davy replied. Mike walked over to me and gave my shoulder a little squeeze. Micky, Peter, and Davy joined us in a group hug. "I know this won't make this better but would you like to go to the beach," Micky asked. I looked up at him. "I'd like that," I replied. We went upstairs to get ready. I washed my face and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. Mike and Davy were brushing their teeth so I was able to get dressed. I shut the door and put on my swimming tank top and shorts. I brushed my hair and put it in a ponytail. I found a beach towel and sunscreen and went downstairs. Mike, Peter, Micky, and Davy got ready quickly and we walked to the beach.

After a two minute walk from the pad, we were at the beach. Micky and Davy set down a few surfboards. I put sunscreen on my arms and legs. "Let me get your back," Davy said. I handed him the sunscreen and he rubbed some on my back. They put on sunscreen and we ran into the water. The waves were pretty tall today. We had fun jumping when the waves came. Peter picked me up and twirled me in the water. I laughed and saw Mike grin a little. Peter threw me over to Micky who caught me. He put me on his shoulders. A huge wave came up from behind us. Mike, Davy, and Peter saw the wave and jumped over it. Micky and I got knocked over and fell into the water. I got a good breath before I fell and came up with a mini prank idea. I saw Micky stand up, but I stayed underwater. They didn't know how long I can hold my breath due to my surfing experience.

**Mike's POV**

Micky rose out of the water coughing. "I'm fine. I just didn't see that wave back there," he said. "Where's Jennifer," Peter asked worriedly. My mind was overcome with worry. Davy dove underwater. In a few seconds, he came up with Jennifer in his arms. "Is she okay," I asked. Before Davy could answer, Jennifer ran her hand through the water and splashed Micky in the face. I let out a breath of relief. "I deserved that for bringing you underwater," Micky said as water dripped down his face.

**Jennifer's POV**

I smiled and was unexpectedly thrown into Micky's arms. He tickled me before throwing me in Peter's direction. Mike moved in front of Peter and caught me. I put my arms around his neck. "Guys, she's not a beach ball. That's enough throwing for one day," Mike said protectively. He gently put me down on the sandbank. We swam around for a little while.

Then, we went back to shore. "Do you surf Jennifer," Micky asked. "You could say I have some experience," I answered modestly. "Let's catch some waves," Micky and Davy said. We each grabbed a surfboard and ran into the water. I paddled a good distance from shore to wait for a wave. After a few minutes, a good-sized wave appeared. We paddled quickly to increase our speed. We stood up at the right time and rode the wave to shore. "Wow. I didn't know you were that good at surfing," Peter said. "I've won a few surfing competitions," I replied. We caught some more waves. "Do you want to come back in," Mike asked. "I'll get one more wave then I'll come in," I answered. I paddled out to sea. A ten foot wave approached. I started paddling and stood up. Everything was going as planned. Then, my surfboard lost some speed and we were sucked into the wave. Then, everything went black.

**Mike's POV**

Jennifer was doing great. Suddenly, she disappeared. I gasped and immediately ran into the water. Davy, Micky, and Peter followed me. We swam to the spot where she disappeared. I took a deep breath and went underwater. I saw her and swam to her. I took her in my arms and resurfaced. "Is she okay Mike," Davy asked worriedly. "I don't know," I answered and swam back to shore quickly. She felt limp in my arms as I carried her up the sand. I prayed that she wasn't dead. I set her down on the sand and felt for a pulse and checked to see if she was breathing. Thankfully, she was alive and breathing. "Jennifer? Can you open your eyes," I asked softly. She didn't respond.

Peter, Davy, and Micky ran up the beach. "How is she," Micky asked. "Her vital signs are good but she hasn't woken up yet," I answered. "This is really serious," Davy said. "Peter and Davy, go back to the pad and get an ambulance," I instructed. They ran off the beach. I put my hand on Jennifer's forehead. She was a little cold. I sat her up and covered her back and shoulders with a towel. Jennifer blinked a couple times and moved around. "It's okay Jennifer. I'm here," I said comfortingly. "Mike? What happened," she asked weakly. "I was hoping you could tell me that. You just disappeared into the wave and we brought you back to shore. Does anything hurt," I asked. "My head hurts a little bit," Jennifer admitted. "Micky, pick up our things and we'll go wait for the ambulance," I said. I scooped Jennifer into my arms and we walked to the pad.

"The ambulance will be here soon," Davy said as we walked through the door. "Peter, put some of Jennifer's clothes in a bag in case she needs to stay overnight in the hospital. Micky, hand me some dry towels. Davy, watch for the ambulance," I instructed. They did as they were told and Micky gave me some towels. I quickly dried myself and got dressed upstairs before running to check on Jennifer. "How are you doing kiddo," I asked. "I'm cold," she shivered. I dried her arms and legs as well as I could while maintaining a level of privacy. I took her upstairs to change out of her swimsuit and into dry clothes. "I'll stay outside the room, but call if you need me," I told Jennifer. She changed into yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt. I carried her downstairs and sat on the couch. Jennifer snuggled into my chest to try to get warm. I put my arms around her and held her close to me. Davy covered her with a blanket. "Thanks tiny," I said gratefully. He went back to the window. "Is that better," I asked Jennifer. She nodded. "Everything will be alright," I said reassuringly.

After a few minutes, the ambulance arrived and the paramedics put Jennifer on a stretcher. They rolled her to the ambulance and put her inside it. I got in the passenger seat. The doors were shut and we drove to the hospital. Once we were at the hospital, Jennifer was rushed into a room. I was told to wait outside for updates on her condition. A doctor came out of Jennifer's room ten minutes later. "Are you Mr. Nesmith," he asked. "Yes," I answered. "Jennifer has a mild case of hypothermia. It could have been much worse if you didn't get her into dry clothes and hold her next to you before the ambulance came. We will give her warm fluids to drink and put lots of blankets on her. If these don't help completely, we'll put a warm compress on her. In addition to this, Jennifer most likely has a mild concussion. We'll have to do an x-ray and a CT scan to verify this. You'll be able to see her after the tests," he said. "Okay," I replied. He walked away and nurses wheeled Jennifer away. I called Micky, Davy, and Peter to pick us up at the hospital in about twenty minutes.

It took ten minutes for the tests to be completed. Jennifer was taken back to her room and I was allowed to be with her. Nurses piled some blankets on Jennifer and handed her some warm apple juice to drink. She took it and drank it. Another nurse handed her a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Jennifer had a few mouthfulls and put her spoon down. "What's wrong," I asked. "My stomach doesn't feel good and I'm not hungry," she said. "Concussions can make a person lose their appetite, but warm food will help the hypothermia go away," a nurse informed us before leaving the room. I moved my chair next to her bed and held her hand. "I know it doesn't feel good to eat right now but it will help you not be so cold. Try to eat some more for me," I encouraged. Jennifer picked up her spoon and was able to finish most of the soup. Her eyes watered and I knew that her stomach wasn't feeling good. I stood up next to her bed. Her blue eyes seemed to be quietly saying "help me." I wiped a few tears that had fallen and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm so proud of you for eating all that. You're such a good girl," I whispered. She managed to smile slightly.

The doctor walked into the room and I sat down. "The good news is that there is no swelling in the brain, but we did confirm that you have a mild concussion. There's a little bit of a bump on your head. Given the information that you told us, the surfboard most likely hit you in the head," he inferred. "Isn't that really serious," I asked. "It is but based on the scans we took, it didn't hit her head too hard," the doctor assured us. "That's good," I commented. "Here's some information on concussions if you want to learn more about them," the doctor said as he handed me some papers. I took them. A nurse came in and took Jennifer's temperature. "Her temperature is back to normal," she informed the doctor. "Excellent. Mr. Nesmith, may I talk to you outside," the doctor asked. "Of course," I answered and walked outside the room with him.

"Is something wrong," I asked. "No, it's just something I wanted to talk to you about before Jennifer is discharged from the hospital. I understand that Jennifer was in the car when her parents were killed. Is that correct," he asked. "Yes," I answered. "With stressful events like that, some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder or ptsd. She might not develop this at all, but symptoms can develop a week or two after traumatic events. Some symptoms include having bad dreams about the event or flashbacks, avoiding talking about the event or places or not doing activities associated with it, negative emotions, and being on guard all the time. I have more information on it that I will give to you. It's very important that you watch her carefully so she can get help if she is experiencing symptoms like these for more than a month. You two appear to be very close so I don't think that will be a problem," the doctor said. "I'll watch for those things," I replied confidently. The doctor handed me some information about it. "As for the concussion, just make sure she rests and takes it easy for about a week. Give her tylenol as needed. She is now discharged," the doctor said. Nurses took the blankets off Jennifer. I helped her get off the hospital bed and held her hand as we exited the hospital.

We found the monkeemobile and got inside. "How are you doing Jennifer," Peter asked. "Better," she replied. "What did they say at the hospital," Micky asked. "She has a mild concussion so she'll need to take it easy for a week. Jennifer had mild hypothermia, but she was fine after they put some blankets on her and gave her warm apple juice and soup," I answered. "That's good," Davy replied. I drove us back to the pad.

We got to the pad in less than ten minutes. We walked inside. "I'm kind of tired. I'm going to sleep," Jennifer yawned. I walked upstairs with her. Jennifer got in bed and I pulled up the covers. "Sleep tight," I whispered as her eyes closed. I left the room, closed the door, and walked downstairs. "Hey fellas, we need to talk," I said as I sat down on the couch. "What is it," Davy asked. "The doctor at the hospital told me how painful events can result in post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms can appear a few weeks after the event. Because Jennifer was with her parents in the car crash, that makes things even more traumatic," I answered. I passed around the list of symptoms and Davy, Peter, and Micky looked at it. "I sure hope Jennifer doesn't get this," Peter said. "Me too Pete, but we have to watch for these symptoms to make sure she gets the help she needs in case she has them," I replied gently.

A few hours passed. "I'm going to check on Jennifer," I told them. I walked up the spiral staircase and opened the door slightly. Jennifer's eyes were open and she was moving around a little. I walked into the room. "I hope I didn't wake you," I told her. "I woke up a few minutes ago. Can you get me some tylenol," Jennifer asked. "Of course," I answered. I hurried downstairs, got the pill and a glass of water, and brought them to her. She took the pill and drank the water. "You should feel better soon. Do you want to come downstairs," I asked. "Nah, I'll stay here. But I would like it if you stayed with me," Jennifer answered with wide blue eyes that no one could refuse. Her bed was big enough so I laid down next to her. I stroked her hair and she became more relaxed. "Does your head feel better," I asked. "A little bit," Jennifer answered. She rolled over so that she was facing me. I could tell that the pain relief hadn't fully taken effect. I moved closer to Jennifer and gave her a cuddle. She put her head on my chest and clung to me.

"What's wrong," I asked. I heard a few sniffles. "Are you okay Jennifer," I asked. I felt her shake her head. I held her close and waited patiently. "I miss my parents," she said miserably. "I know you do and that's perfectly normal. I bet they were groovy people," I replied gently. "They were. Mike, can I ask you a question," Jennifer asked. "Sure," I answered. "What made you want to adopt a kid," she asked curiously. "Well, I don't have any family around here since I'm from Texas. I wanted someone to love and look after. I keep Davy, Micky, and Peter in line but that's not the same. My dad left when I was young, so I wanted to fill a gap in someone's life that needed it," I answered thoughtfully. "You're a really great guy," Jennifer replied and kissed my cheek. "Aw thanks," I smiled. After a few more cuddles, she was happier. "Let's get you something to eat," I said while standing up. Jennifer took my hand and walked with me downstairs. We ate dinner and I managed to get her to have a light dinner.

**Jennifer's POV**

After I ate dinner, I decided that I needed a shower. "I'm going to take a shower," I told Mike. "Just be careful," he replied. I went upstairs and gathered my shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, my pajamas, and a towel. I took them to the bathroom and shut the door. I washed myself and scrubbed shampoo into my hair. I rinsed it and put in some conditioner. I washed it out of my hair and got out of the shower. I dried myself with a towel and put on pajamas. I brushed my hair and got the excess water out of it. I brushed my teeth. I heard a knock on the door. "Are you alright in there," Mike asked loudly. I opened the door. "I'm fine," I answered. "Just checking," Mike replied caringly. I slipped on my flip flops and joined him downstairs.

I got a glass of water and sat down at the table. I drank it slowly. Mike sat down next to me. "I thought we should talk about signing you up for your senior year of high school," he started. "I've already graduated. I skipped a grade when I was younger," I explained. "Wow. We have a genius among us," Mike replied as he put his arms in the air. I laughed. "I'm not a genius, just a little advanced for my age," I said. "I guess that means I don't have to sign you up for school. Maybe tomorrow you can sing for me and the guys. You could end up performing with us," Mike replied. "That sounds great. I just don't want you to feel obligated to put me in the group," I said looking at the table. Mike lifted my chin so that I was looking at him in the eyes. "I wouldn't put you in the group because you are my daughter. I would put you in the group because of your musical talent. We would still be a family no matter what," he said firmly. "That makes me feel better. I just didn't want to turn into a charity case," I replied. "You will never be a charity case. I've only known you two days now and I love you so much more than you can imagine," Mike said emotionally. I got off my chair and sat on his lap. "I love you too," I said as I hugged him around the shoulders. Mike grinned. "Let's get you to bed," he said. Mike stood up and carried me upstairs. He gently set me down on my bed and pulled up the sheets. "Goodnight Jennifer," Mike said softly and kissed my cheek. "Goodnight dad," I replied and kissed his cheek. We smiled at each other. Mike turned off the light and closed the door.


	3. All the King's Horses

Mike woke me up every few hours to make sure I was still responsive. He told me that he was sorry to have to wake me up and I fell asleep after he got back in his bed. After I had gotten all the sleep I needed, I pushed the cover and sheets off and sat up quickly. I fell back on the bed. My vision got fuzzy. Mike and Davy woke up and got out of bed. "How are you doing this morning?" Mike asked as he put on his slippers and trademark hat. "I'm not the best at the moment," I answered as I blinked my eyes to get rid of the cloudy vision. "Why is that?" he asked. "I think I sat up too quickly," I replied. Mike and Davy walked to my bed. "You do look a bit pale," Davy confessed. "I'm naturally pale," I replied. "I meant more than usual," he explained. Mike helped me sit up slowly and took me to the kitchen table. "Let's get some food into you. Does scrambled eggs and toast sound alright," he asked. "It's fine with me," I answered. Mike started making my breakfast and Davy gave me a glass of orange juice. I took a few sips and my vision went back to normal. "Your color looks a little better," Davy said looking at my face. Mike finished making my breakfast and handed me a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. "Thanks," I said before digging into my breakfast. Micky and Peter woke up and Mike made breakfast for them and himself.

I finished my breakfast and went upstairs to get ready. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before getting dressed. I put on jean shorts and a blue and white t-shirt. I brushed my hair and went downstairs. By this time, everyone was done with breakfast and were getting ready. They came downstairs in a few minutes in casual attire. "Most of the time, we rehearse in the morning. I was hoping that you could sing something," Mike told me. "What do you want me to sing?" I asked. "How about Last Train to Clarksville," Micky suggested. "That's fine with me," I replied. I began singing it. After I was done singing, I saw that their jaws were dropped. "I had the idea that you would be a good singer, but I didn't think you would be this good. That was incredible," Peter exclaimed after a few seconds of silence. Mike, Davy, and Micky agreed.

"Next, we should see how well you can blend in with us. Sing I Wanna Be Free with Davy and we will do the soft instrumental," Mike said. They began the intro. When it was the right time, I started singing with Davy. I focused on having the same soft volume as him and blending with his voice. The song was over in two and a half minutes. "We sounded great," Davy said happily. "Just out of curiosity, have you had training?" Micky asked. "I've been taking voice lessons for two years and involved in choir since I was in elementary school," I answered. "Impressive," Peter complimented. We sang Papa Gene's Blues. I joined Micky, Davy, and Peter for background vocals. "You have a good ear for music so that will make harmonizing fairly easy and you proved that you can write songs well. Welcome to the Monkees," Mike smiled. I gave him a huge hug. Davy, Micky, and Peter hugged me. "I'm honored," I said earnestly. "We haven't started recording Headquarters yet so we can put you on backup vocals and maybe sing with one of us on lead vocals for some songs so the fans can gradually adjust to the addition," Davy suggested. "That's a good plan," Mike agreed.

For the rest of the morning, we discussed what songs I would be doing backup and lead vocals. Micky and I would be doing backup for You Told Me. For You Just May Be the One, I would be singing the ah's with Davy and Peter during the bridge. Micky and I would be doing backing vocals for Shades of Gray. Micky and I would be singing lead vocals on For Pete's Sake and backup for Sunny Girlfriend. Davy and I are doing backup for No Time. I get to sing backup by myself for Early Morning Blues and Greens. "Now that we got that settled, I'm going to give Chip Douglas a call and fill him in on our new addition," Mike said before going to the phone. He dialed the number. A few minutes passed before he stepped away from the phone. "What voice part are you," Mike asked me. "Soprano," I answered. He went back to the phone and the call ended shortly after. "He's actually pretty excited that we have a female in the group. I told him that Jennifer is a very talented singer and could improvise on harmonies. He said that's great, but he's going to have the writers make her harmonies just in case," Mike informed us. We cheered.

We had sandwiches and chips for lunch. Micky left for a date with a girl named Sally and Peter went to the music store to look at a few things. Mike, Davy, and I went to the beach. "Do ride horses?" Davy asked. "Not regularly anymore, but I still love to ride them," I smiled. "Wait here," Davy said mischievously before walking into nearby shed. I looked up at Mike with a confused look. He shrugged his shoulders. A few minutes later, he emerged from the shed with a tacked up brown horse and a helmet. My face lit up. "How do you have a horse?" I asked. "Well, he was a gift from my mentor when I was planning to be a jockey," Davy explained. "Cool. What's his name?" I asked as I petted the horse's neck. "Duke. He's a thoroughbred but he's pretty even-tempered so you should be alright. Plus, I'll be here," Davy reassured me. I put on the helmet and Davy gave me a leg up. I mounted Duke gracefully. Davy and Mike walked beside us as Duke walked near the water.

"Go ahead and trot if you want to," Davy said. I nudged Duke's sides and he increased his pace. We trotted to the opposite end of the beach. I turned him around and Duke cantered towards Mike and Davy. "Now you're getting the hang of it," Davy grinned as we rode past him. I smiled and steered Duke to the left. We cantered past the rocks. I urged Duke to gallop. He started to run faster. "Yeah," Davy and Mike yelled. I looked behind us and saw clouds of sand. We made a circle at the end of the beach and made our way back to Davy and Mike.

"You were incredible. You would make a good jockey if you weren't so tall," Mike complimented. "When I was young, I wanted to be a jockey," I confessed. "You wouldn't be able to be a racing jockey, but you could be a steeplechase jockey," Davy replied. "What's the difference?" Mike asked. "Steeplechase racing has jumps on the course. It would basically be riding like normal with jumps," Davy explained. I dismounted Duke and handed Davy the reins. I dragged two logs away from the rocks and set them a good distance apart. "Are you sure you want to do this kid? You could get hurt," Mike said worriedly. "That's the life of a rider. We take our chances but try to be careful," I replied. "She has a helmet on and each of us could stand next to the log to catch her if she falls off," Davy told Mike. "Alright," he agreed. I mounted Duke. "Has Duke jumped before?" I asked Davy. "He's done some work with it," Davy answered. I rode Duke away from the logs. Davy stood next to the first jump and Mike stood at the other one. "You can do this boy," I told Duke as I petted his shoulder. I urged him to gallop. We were running towards the logs. As Duke jumped, I rose slightly out of the saddle and we made it to the other side. We moved on to the other log and jumped over it.

I circled around the log and approached Davy and Mike. "Wow. I've never seen someone be able to learn how to jump right away without falling off," Davy said sounding very impressed. "Thanks," I replied. Duke unexpectedly ran into the water until it was up to my feet. "What are you doing boy," I laughed. Duke neighed happily and cantered in the water. After a few minutes of playing in the water, he ran back to shore and shook the water off himself. I dismounted and led him over to Davy. "He's never done that before," he laughed. "It was actually kind of fun," I replied. Mike, Davy, and I walked Duke to the shed. I dried Duke's coat while Davy cleaned his hooves. After I was done, I brushed him and combed his mane and tail. Duke nuzzled my shoulder as I petted him. Davy put Duke in his stall and we went back to the pad.

Micky and Peter were sitting in the living room. "How did your date go?" Davy asked Micky. "It was great," he answered excitedly. "Did you find anything at the music store Pete?" Mike asked. "There was this one guitar I was interested in, but I'll have to save up for it," Peter answered. It was getting time for dinner so Mike made Aunt Kate's special chili. It was really tasty. I took a shower and put my pajamas on. We watched a movie downstairs for the rest of the night. It was over at 10:00. "I think it's about time you should be getting ready for bed," Mike told me gently. I took his hand and I stood up. Mike lifted me and gave me a piggy back ride up the stairs. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before flopping down on my bed. Mike chuckled and tucked me in. He gave me a goodnight kiss and I fell fast asleep.


	4. Hold On Girl

"It's time to wake up honey. We have to get to the studio by 10:00," Mike told me gently. I opened my eyes. "What time is it?" I asked. "8:45," he answered. I sat up slowly as I remembered my near-fainting incident yesterday when I sat up too quickly. I followed Mike downstairs. There was a plate of pancakes and syrup at my place. "You can never go wrong with pancakes," I smiled as I sat down. Micky gave me a glass of milk. Peter went upstairs to get dressed. As I started eating my breakfast, Davy finished his juice and headed upstairs. "So what's today going to be like," I asked Mike. "We're recording You Told Me, I'll Spend My Life With You, Forget That Girl, Band 6, and You Just May Be the One. First, we'll do a warm up together. We'll look over each song with the sheet music. The instrumentals will be recorded and then lead vocals and backup vocals. Today's a pretty easy day for us," Mike answered. We ate the rest of our breakfast in silence. I went upstairs, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. I decided to wear white capris and a floral blue blouse with white flats. I put on my outfit, brushed my hair, and put on some mint lip balm before heading downstairs. "You ready to go?" Micky asked. "Yes," I answered and we drove to the studio.

The studio was about fifteen minutes away from the pad. Once we arrived at the studio, the guys introduced me to everyone that was helping us make the record. Mike, Micky, Davy, Peter, and I gathered around the piano and did our vocal warm ups. Chip Douglas passed out the sheet music for You Told Me. The guys rehearsed the instrumental for fifteen minutes before they recorded it. It only took one take to complete a flawless recording. Mike went straight into the recording booth for the lead vocals and Micky and I went into another room and practiced our background vocals. We just had to sing ah's then you told me starting in the second verse. Mike was finished after a few takes. Micky and I walked into the recording room and put on our headphones. "Okay guys, we're going to start the track from the beginning. Jump in with the ah's at the second verse," Chip Douglas instructed. We began to hear the music through the headphones. Mike's voice sounded awesome. At the same time that he started the second verse, Micky and I began singing our ah's and you told me. The song was over in two minutes. "Great job you two. Jennifer, I would never have guessed that this was your first time in the studio," Chip Douglas exclaimed. "Thank you very much Mr. Douglas," I smiled. "Call me Chip," he replied.

I took off my headphones and left the recording booth because Micky was going to record I'll Spend My Life With You. Mike and Davy recorded the guitar and tambourine instrumental. After they were done, they joined me in the lounge outside the recording area. "You were great," Davy grinned. "Thanks," I replied. "You and Mick sounded great together," Mike added. I smiled and looked down a bit. "Hey, you don't have to be so modest to the point where you turn red," Mike peered over to look at my face. I looked at my face in the nearest mirror. "Oh wow, I am red," I said surprisingly. "Maybe you just need some water," Davy suggested as he handed me a bottle. I took a few sips. "When I was I rehearsing for Oliver, me face turned as red as a tomato if I didn't drink enough water," Davy reminisced. Mike and I laughed. Micky came out of the studio. "Davy, you're up for Forget That Girl," he said patting him on the back. Davy jumped up and the rest followed him to do the instrumental. It was really cool to be recording with them. A few minutes later, the backing track was finished. Davy performed the song in the studio and did soft backup after the lead vocals were recorded. Band 6 was basically the guys doing a really short jam session. The instrumental and lead vocals were captured for You Just May be the One. Davy, Peter, and I went into the studio and sang the ah's during the bridge. Chip complimented us on our balance and blend. "Good work everyone. We'll meet same time tomorrow to record Shades of Gray, I Can't Get Her Off My Mind, For Pete's Sake, Mr. Webster, and Sunny Girlfriend," he told us.

All of us filed out of the studio and into the parking lot. We got in the monkeemobile. "What time is it?" Peter asked. "It's a quarter after noon," Davy answered. "Let's go back to the pad and I can grill up some burgers. Sound good?" Mike asked. "Yes," we answered collectively. We drove to the pad and Mike started making the burgers. Peter got the condiments out of the fridge. Davy found some paper plates that we could use. Micky took out a bag of chips and hamburger buns. I poured everyone a glass of lemonade. We set the table. Mike came inside with the burgers. We each took one and set them on our buns. I put ketchup and pickles on my burger and put a handful of chips on my plate. We eagerly ate our burgers and chips. Lemonade was a delicious way to wash it all down.

After lunch, the phone rang. Mike answered it. He seemed concerned. "Isn't it a little soon for all that," Mike asked whoever was on the phone. "Alright. We'll be there soon," he sighed before hanging up. Mike walked to where we were sitting. "That was the police. They want you to answer a few questions about the accident," he told me hesitantly. I bit my lip. "I guess let's go," I said softly. Mike put his hand on my shoulder and we drove to the police station.

The police officers asked,"Are you Jennifer Doran?" when we arrived. "Yes," I answered. "If you could please follow us," one of them said as he led me to a small room. Mike was told to wait for me outside. One other man was waiting for us in the room. We went into the room and the door was shut. "First, our condolences go out to you," one of them said gravely. "Thank you," I replied quietly. "My name is Mr. Williams and this is my assistant Mr. Harrison. We've called you in because we wanted to hear your point of view of the car crash that took your parents' lives. I know this is very difficult but try to tell us everything you can about the accident," Mr. Williams encouraged me. "Well, we were on the way to the AMC movie theater. When we were on Johnson Street, a car came suddenly on the same street except was going against the flow of traffic. There wasn't time to get out of the way. My parents were killed instantly. I still have bruises from the accident but no serious injuries. The man that was driving the car that hit us was drunk. He was quite violent as the police tried to get a hold of him and even from a distance I could smell alcohol," I informed them.

"Do you recall his appearance," Mr. Harrison asked. "Yes. He had dark brown hair, tan skin, and was wearing a leather jacket with a white t-shirt underneath and brown boots," I answered. "That confirms that this is the same driver that was driving recklessly and that hit another car that day. This isn't the first time he has been convicted of drunk and reckless driving. The other families that have been affected by this are suing for their losses. Would you be willing to testify," Mr. Williams asked as he leaned forward in his chair. "Yes," I answered somewhat nervously. "With other people testifying, the man will have a greater chance of having more time in prison," Mr. Harrison said confidently. "What we are going to say next is required by law. Your parents' bodies were so maimed that their funerals will have to be closed casket services. Do you have an idea when you would like to have their funerals?" Mr. Williams asked. "Probably next week on Saturday," I answered. "Which funeral home would you like them to be held?" Mr. Harrison asked. I rattled off the name of the funeral home that was nearby. "That's it for now. We will be in touch with you," Mr. Harrison said before shaking my hand and walking me out of the room. Mike was waiting outside. "Are you ready to go," he asked. "Yes," I answered with a barely audible whisper. We walked to the car and drove away in silence. It felt like my heart was in my throat. My stomach was churning. I tried to focus on my breathing to keep from shaking. I kept staring straight ahead. I could sense Mike glancing at me every once in a while. I knew he was worried about me. I'm worried about myself.

Once we got home, I felt even sicker. I probably looked like a zombie. I felt myself sweating like crazy and my skin was probably five shades paler than usual. I opened the door. Micky, Davy, and Peter were in the same places as they were when we left. My stomach felt violently ill. I ran up the spiral staircase to the bathroom. Thankfully I made it to the bathroom before I threw up. My knees gave way and I fell to the floor. I hear someone walk upstairs. "Hey kid can we talk? Oh my, what happened to you? Are ya okay?" Mike stammered as he saw me crouched down by the toilet. I didn't have time to answer before I was sick again. He rushed to my side and held my hair back. After several more bouts of being sick, my stomach calmed down briefly. "Man, I've never seen somebody get so sick that quick. Are you alright?" Mike asked worriedly kneeling next to me. "I don't think so," I squeaked before throwing up more times than I could count. After I was done, Mike gave me a glass of water. I rinsed my mouth. He felt my forehead. "You're burning up. Let's get you to your bed," Mike said. He supported me as we slowly walked to our room and swiftly lowered me onto my bed.

"What's going on Mike?" Davy asked from the hallway. "Jennifer's as sick as a dog. I'm gonna call a doctor," Mike replied before leaving the room. Davy sat down in one of the chairs in our room. "Hopefully this isn't because of the hypothermia and concussion you had the other day," he said. "I don't know but whatever is happening is not fun at all," I winced in pain. A few minutes later, Mike brought the doctor to my room. "Could you all please step out of the room while I take a look at her?" the doctor asked politely. "Alright. We'll be right outside," Mike answered reluctantly before they left the room. The doctor took my temperature, blood pressure, and a blood test. "You don't have an infection or anything like that, but your temperature is well above normal and your blood pressure is a little elevated. Has anything stressful happened recently?" the doctor asked. I told him about the accident and what I was doing right before I became sick. "It seems to me that your system is just worked up about everything that has happened and this afternoon was particularly detrimental to your health. Let me go talk with your guardian," the doctor said before stepping outside.

"What do you think doc? Is she gonna be okay?" Mike asked worriedly. "She should be fine. It seems like the trip to the police station caused her a great deal of stress and discomfort. The extreme level of stress caused her system to get worked up. Fevers and vomiting are generally associated with the stomach flu but the blood test confirmed that she has no infection or anything like that. For the fever, give her tylenol every four hours and that should do the trick. Since her stomach is still upset, it's best to give her things like chicken broth, jello, and popsicles. Make sure she drinks a lot of water and keeps hydrated. I'll leave you a few anti-nausea pills if she keeps vomiting. Her blood pressure is a little higher than it should be so do something that relaxes her. Talking about what is upsetting her could make her feel better," the doctor answered leisurely. "Thank you so much doc," Mike replied sincerely. "You're welcome. Feel free to give me a call if anything changes," the doctor said before leaving.

Mike went downstairs and brought tylenol and a glass of water to our room. I swallowed the pill and drank the rest of the water. "Why don't I take you downstairs and you can listen to us play?" Mike suggested. I smiled and he took me to the couch downstairs. Micky got behind the drums, Mike picked up his guitar, Peter picked up his bass, and Davy set his tambourine and maracas at his feet. "Jennifer, we would like to dedicate these songs to you," Peter said earnestly. I was touched. They gave me my own personal concert. They performed Saturday's Child, Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day, Papa Gene's Blues, Take a Giant Step, I'll be True to You, Sweet Young Thing, Hold On Girl, Sometime in the Morning, Laugh, and I'm a Believer. Each of them looked at me when they were singing. "You guys were awesome!" I exclaimed. "Thank you kindly," Mike smiled. He put down his guitar and felt my forehead. "I think that tylenol did the trick. You don't have a fever anymore," Mike said happily. "I'm feeling much better," I replied. "You should probably have something to eat. I'll get some chicken broth on the stove," Davy said as he hurried to the kitchen. "While that get's hot, why don't you and I go for a little walk on the beach," Mike suggested. We walked out the back door and onto the beach.

"I know this is hard to talk about but what happened at the police station?" Mike asked gently. I took a shaky breath. "Well, they asked me questions about the accident and a description of the guy that caused the accident. Apparently this isn't the first time this guy was convicted of drunk driving and he hit two other cars besides the one I was in that morning. One of the families is suing him so the other people involved including me are going to testify. That way he can get the most time in prison," I informed him. "Are you sure you'll be okay with all this?" Mike looked into my eyes. "I should be. Besides, my parents would want me to do it," I answered softly. Mike put his hand on my shoulder as we continued to walk on the sand.

"Is there anything else I should know about?" he asked. This is the part that was really upsetting me. "The police officer said that my parents' bodies were maimed. It will have to be a closed casket service. As of now, the funeral will be held next week on Saturday," I answered sadly. Mike drew me in for a hug. "They shouldn't have told you about the bodies," he said protectively. "They said that it's required by law to tell me that," I explained. "I still don't agree with that. Now I know why you were so upset. Even thinking about it is making me upset. Things will be alright," Mike comforted me. He pulled me in closer and I returned the embrace. "I hope so," I said softly. Mike knelt down in front of me. "Do you trust me," he asked. "Of course," I answered a little bit surprised. "You have to believe that things are going to get better. I know it's super difficult to think that right now but I know you can do it. You're stronger than you think," Mike replied fervently looking at me straight in the eye. "How do you always know just what to say to make someone feel better?" I asked with a smile. "It's a Texan thing. Actually I don't know. It's just the way I am I guess," Mike grinned. He lifted me onto his shoulders and we started to walk back to the pad. "So this is what it looks like from the top of the world," I said jokingly. Mike snickered and chuckled a little. "You really grow on someone, you know that," he smiled.

We made it back to the pad and I had chicken broth, some jello, and a glass of water. After dinner, we watched the sun go down from the balcony. They still only had four outdoor chairs so I sat on Mike's lap. "Are you going to be up for recording tomorrow?" Micky asked. "Definitely," I answered. "All the guys kept asking me "Are you sure she hasn't recorded before?" They were really pleased," Davy said. "Well, that was my first time recording. I'll take it as a huge compliment if they thought otherwise," I replied.

**Mike's POV**

We continued to watch the sun go down. It was a very calming ending to a rough day for all of us. I was really happy that Jennifer was able to open up to me. I felt her gradually relax and fall asleep against my shoulder. Peter, Davy, and Micky smiled lightly as they looked at us. We sat for ten more minutes. "Are you going to wake her up to get ready for bed?" Peter asked quietly. I shook my head. One night of not brushing your teeth can't kill anyone. I'm not advocating not brushing teeth twice a day but it's been a scary day for her. She was so vulnerable. I stood up carefully without waking her and took her to bed. I tucked her in and gave her a goodnight kiss. I looked down on her. She's such an angel. I got ready for bed and went to sleep after putting her to bed.


	5. As We Go Along

I woke up in my clothes from last night. I quietly sat up and put on my slippers. I stood up and saw that Mike and Davy were still asleep. I decided to make breakfast for all of them. I walked out of the room and shut the door without them waking up. The door to Micky and Peter's room was still closed so I assumed that they were asleep. I made my way downstairs and looked at the kitchen clock. It was 8:25. I knew that the boys would be up soon so I began making french toast and bacon. As they were cooking, I washed and sliced strawberries to go on top of the french toast. I flipped the french toast slices and bacon. I planned on each of them eating three pieces of french toast and two pieces for myself. When I had fourteen pieces of french toast and ten bacon strips prepared, I started the plating process. I set three slices of french toast on each plate except for mine and put strawberry slices on and around the french toast. I topped them off with some whipped cream. I got my breakfast plate done and put two strips of bacon next to the french toast on each of our plates. The plates were arranged on the table.

"Wow that looks great!" Mike exclaimed from the spiral staircase. I jumped and turned around. "Don't do that!" I said breathlessly. "Sorry babe. How long have you been up?" he asked sitting down at the table. "A little before 8:30," I answered. "I appreciate you making breakfast for us all but you didn't have to do that," Mike replied. "I wanted to. Plus, I used to make my parents breakfast sometimes. If I'm going to be staying here, you guys better get used to it," I grinned. "Alright." Mike put his hands up in defeat. Micky, Davy, and Peter scampered to the table with wide eyes. "You really outdid yourself for breakfast today, Mike," Micky said. "Oh, I didn't make it. Jennifer did," Mike replied. "Thank you so much Jennifer!" they shouted happily. "You're all very welcome," I laughed. We finally sat down and ate the delicious breakfast.

I went through my morning routine and put on white shorts and a bright purple t-shirt. I did my hair and let it down. I used some clear lip gloss and waited for the boys to finish getting ready. As soon as they were ready. We drove to the studio. "Good morning everyone," I said to the crew as we walked inside. "Hey Jennifer. Since Shades of Gray is a song that you wrote, we need to decide who is going to be singing the verses and backup. Let's try you and Davy singing the first verse together and Peter and you singing the second verse together," Chip replied. Davy, Peter, and I shuffled into the recording studio and put on our headphones. We were given sheet music. The instrumental began to play. When it was time, Davy and I exchanged a look and began to sing. We got through the first verse and chorus. Then, Peter picked up the melody with me for the second verse. We decided to keep that arrangement. Micky joined us for the harmony starting at the second chorus. "Absolutely beautiful. I can tell you wrote it from your heart," Chip observed. "Certain things bring out different things in everyone I guess," I replied.

Davy recorded I Can't Get Her Off My Mind. Micky and I popped back into the studio and recorded For Pete's Sake. Peter wrote it and Mike helped him come up with the title. When we were finished, I went out of the recording studio and Davy went inside to help Micky record Mr. Webster. Mike sat down next to me. "I really enjoyed listening to you sing your song. When you sang it, I could tell how much you connected with the lyrics," he said. "Thanks. It was a way of dealing with my emotions the day of the accident," I replied. Mike put his arm around my shoulder before he had to leave to record Sunny Girlfriend with Micky on background vocals. Originally, I was going to sing backup with him, but we decided that it would be weird for a girl to sing it. I liked it better that way. They did a great job with it. It was hilarious watching Peter, Davy, Micky, and Mike record Zilch! I couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, I wasn't in the studio. After that song, we were done for the day. Tomorrow, we will finish the last three tracks and do a photoshoot for the album cover and in general to promote the album. I can't wait!

We went back to the pad and ate lunch. "Can I take Duke out for a ride on the beach?" I asked Davy. "Of course, you're welcome to him anytime," he answered. I closed the front door behind me and went inside the beachside shed. Duke's head perked up when he saw me. "Hello pretty boy," I said softly. I gave him a carrot and groomed his beautiful brown fur. I cleaned his hooves and put on his bridle, saddle blanket, and saddle. I led him out of the shed and onto the beach. I mounted Duke and warmed up his muscles. I cantered with him beside the ocean. When he was ready, Duke galloped. We were moving towards the pad so I didn't see the storm approaching.

There was a flash of lightning followed by thunder. Duke let out a terrified neigh and his ears went back. "Easy boy, I'll get you inside," I tried to calm him down. Rain began to fall at a fast pace. An extremely loud thunder sent Duke running on the sand. I pulled on the reins, but it was no use. He wouldn't listen to me since he was scared. Duke reared up. I gripped my legs around his sides and hoped that the rain wouldn't make my fingers slip from the bridle reins. I managed to hang on. The sky was nearly pitch black. I tried to figure out how far the pad was from where I was between lightning flashes. Duke was not as disoriented as me, but he was frantic. He galloped around in circles. Duke sped up and started moving towards two large objects spaced evenly from each other. I realized that those were the logs I used to practice jumping the other day. Panic filled my mind as we approached the first jump. He jumped over them both, nearly launching me out of the saddle.

After ten minutes of searching in the pouring rain, I found Duke's shed. My clothes were soaked. I dismounted Duke and took him inside the shed. I took off his tack and dried it the best I could. I rubbed Duke down with a blanket, groomed him and cleaned his hooves, and untangled his mane and tail. I gave Duke his food and a bucket of room temperature water before putting Duke in his stall and running back to the pad in the rain.

I went through the front door and was met with four worried faces. Mike ran up to me and drew me into his arms. "I was so scared that you got in an accident out there. That storm came out of nowhere. Are you hurt?" he asked me relaxing his grip. "I'm fine. I would've tried to get back earlier but I couldn't see a thing out there," I started. "As long as you're alright, that's all that matters. Go get a warm bath and you can tell us all what happened," Mike replied. I went upstairs and followed Mike's order of getting a bath.

I went back downstairs in my pajamas and a robe. Mike motioned for me to sit down with all of them on the couch. "Now you can tell us your story," he said. "Well, Duke and I were outside riding and suddenly there was thunder and lightning. The sky turned pitch black and I could barely see anything. Rain kept pouring down. Duke got really scared and reared up," I started. They gasped. "But I held on," I added. They let out a breath of relief. "Duke kept galloping in circles and jumped over the two logs I set out yesterday. I nearly fell off! After ten minutes, I was able to see well enough to make it back to Duke's shed so I took care of him and ran back here," I finished my story. "That must have been scary! I hope Duke didn't cause too much trouble," Davy replied. "It wasn't his fault. Any horse would have reacted the same way or worse," I reassured him. Davy looked more at ease.

For dinner, we had a chicken recipe. I helped Mike wash and dry the dishes. Micky, Davy, and Peter were practicing the songs that we're recording tomorrow. I took the time to call all my parents' family and friends and inform them of what happened and the funeral arrangements. After calling twenty people, I was tired of hearing the "I'm so sorry! Let me know if I can help." The truth is that no one can help. I watched the news with everyone in the evening. When I got tired of watching, I disappeared upstairs. I just had to brush my teeth since I took a bath earlier. I brushed my teeth and walked into the room I share with Mike and Davy. I opened one of my dresser drawers and pulled out a particular picture frame with a picture of my parents and me in it. My parents told me that if something ever happened to them, look inside the picture frame. I didn't think I would have to look for at least ten or fifteen more years. I found a sheet of paper and an aquamarine heart necklace. My birthday is in March so it made sense. I opened the letter and sat down on my bed.

_Dear Jennifer,_

_ We know that if you are reading this, we are dead. We are at peace and with the Lord. We know your heart is hurting and that you feel you can't go on without us. But you mustn't lose sight of your future. Since you were two years old, we knew that you loved singing. Your talent for it won't go unrecognized. It's who you are as a person. You have grown up to be a thoughtful, loyal, and kind young lady. We trust your judgment so we have not left you in the care of a relative. If you feel that being put with another family will help you go on with your life, by all means do what is best for you. We have had the privilege of being your parents and that is the greatest gift we could have been given. As soon as you were born, we knew the name Jennifer fit you perfectly. Your name means white, fair, smooth, and soft. It also suits those who are creative and generous. We have left you everything, including a few last gifts. This necklace has been in our family for generations. It is something very dear to our hearts. Additionally, we have given you your father's acoustic and electric guitar. We know you will enjoy them and put them to good use. We will love your forever._

_Mom and Dad_

I had tears streaming down my face. I set the letter down beside me. I drew my knees into my chest and cried. I heard someone come into the room but I couldn't see who it was through my tear-filled eyes. He sat down a little bit behind me. "Do you mind if I look at it?" a Texan voice asked. I shook my head. Mike held it for a few minutes and set it down. He cradled me in his arms and began to sing softly.

No heartaches, felt no longer lonely

Nights of waiting finally won me

Happiness is all rolled up in you

And now with you as inspiration

I look toward a destination

Sunny bright that once before was blue

I have no more than I did before

But now I've got all that I need

For I love you and I know you love me

So take my hand I'll start my journey

Free from all the helpless worry

That besets a man when he's alone

For strength is mine when we're together

And with you I know I'll never

Have to pass the high road for the low

I have no more than I did before

But now I've got all that I need

For I love you and I know you love me

I have no more than I did before

But now I've got all that I need

For I love you and I know you love me

Yes I love you and I know you love me

I became sleepy and closed my eyes. I didn't even notice that Mike left out the sound effects from the record. I fell asleep knowing that Mike and the others would help me get through this.


	6. Saturday's Child

I woke up at the same time as Mike and Davy. We walked downstairs together and got bowls of cereal and glasses of orange juice for ourselves. I started eating my breakfast. I was really excited to finish the record and do some photoshoots. Micky and Peter joined us for breakfast. When I was finished, I put my dishes in the sink and went upstairs. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I put on jeans and a sleeveless dark pink plaid collared shirt. I brushed my hair and put it in two braids. I put on some clear lip gloss and put on sandals. Once we were ready, we left for the studio.

I got a lot of compliments on my hair. "Morning guys, we're going to start with No Time," Chip instructed. We got into the recording part of the studio and put on headphones. Peter's piano, Mike's guitar, Micky's drums, and two tambourines were in there. "Since we are ahead of schedule, let's try doing the vocals and instrumental at the same time. Jennifer, you're going to play tambourine with Davy because we are going to need more of that sound," he instructed. I picked my tambourine up and read the sheet music. It was an easy steady rhythm and the background vocals were simple enough. We gave it a try. Amazingly enough, we were able to successfully sing and play at the same time. Davy and I recorded Early Morning Blues and Greens. Mike, Micky, Davy, and Peter recorded Randy Scouse Git. It was epic to watch.

We were told to go to the photography studio inside the building. I was given an outfit to change into and went to my dressing room. I put on sky blue jeans and a silky dark purple top. When I was dressed, I moved on to the hair and makeup station. "Hey Jennifer, my name is Kelly and I'll be your primary hair stylist and makeup person. I can take care of you right here," a young woman said pointing to the chair next to Micky. I sat down and Kelly thought of a hair style that would look cute with my outfit. She took the ponytails out of my braids and tousled it so it was a little wavy. Micky was having his hair straightened. Davy and Peter tried hard not to laugh but a few giggles escaped their mouths. "Very funny guys," Micky said somewhat annoyed. Mike shook his head and reluctantly allowed someone to comb his hair. "Personally, I think this is fun," I smiled. "I'm glad. If you're enjoying it, I know I'm doing my job well," Kelly replied. She applied some natural makeup and we went where the photo was going to be taken.

Mike introduced me briefly to Claire the photographer before we got in position. She's Micky's girlfriend. I stood between Mike and Davy. Peter was slightly in front of us and kicked his leg out in front of Micky's left leg. Claire gave us a countdown and Davy, Micky, and Peter smiled at the camera. Mike compromised with a small grin. She took a few pictures and studied them on the camera. Claire picked the best one and we were allowed to change into our normal clothes. I went back to the dressing room and switched outfits. "I'll be around in an hour or two to take pictures of you guys on the beach," Claire said.

We drove back to the pad. Mike made us sandwiches. "Do you guys have any plans for today?" Peter asked taking a sandwich. "Besides the pictures being taken, I don't think so. Maybe we could hang out at the beach," Mike suggested. "Sounds fun to me," I replied. We ate our lunch and waited for Claire to arrive. There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it. Hey Claire, how are you doing," Micky said opening the door. She walked in. "I'm doing great Micky thanks," Claire smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek. We moved onto the beach. "Just do what you would normally do and I'll capture some action shots," Claire said. Micky, Peter, and Davy started playing around with a volleyball. Mike sat down on the sand playing the guitar. I was about to get Duke to do some bareback riding but he ran out to me. I put on his bridle and led him into the shed to figure out how he escaped. Duke's stall door was loose. I took him back outside. "Hey Davy, Duke's stall door came loose," I said mounting Duke. "Not again! Thanks for telling me, though," Davy replied. "I'll see if I can fix it," Micky offered.

I trotted around the beach. I held my arms out to the sides to improve my balance. I always wanted to try vaulting. Cantering and galloping made my hair move in the wind. Duke and I practiced some bareback jumping. "That's really great Jennifer! I got some awesome shots of that," Claire exclaimed. She took pictures of Mike sitting around with his guitar and the rest of the boys playing volleyball in a circle. They turned out super cute. Plus, we got to see pictures that were taken when we were recording. There was an adorable one with Mike putting his arm around me and all of us having fun together. Micky finished fixing Duke's stall door. I cooled Duke down, groomed, and fed him before joining the others. "It was great working with you guys this afternoon. The record will be available for purchase in a few weeks. We'll let you know when the press conference will be. Micky, are we still on for our date tomorrow night right?" Claire asked. "Of course babe. I'll pick you up at six," Micky answered. They kissed briefly before Claire walked off the beach.

Mike made us a dinner consisting of salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, and green beans. As soon as we finished eating, Davy excused himself and left for his date. "I'm going to stop by the house and grab the guitars I inherited," I told Mike. "Why don't I come with you. Peter, can you please clean the house while we're gone?" Mike asked. "Sure," Peter answered. I gave Mike instructions for how to get to my old house and we drove there. I went to the spot where my dad kept them. I found the guitars and took them to the car. Mike drove us back to the pad.

I carried the acoustic guitar and Mike took the electric guitar. I went in through the door ahead of him and slipped backward on the floor. I clutched the guitar to make sure it wouldn't get broken in the fall. I fell hard on my back and immediately couldn't breathe. "Jennifer!" Mike yelped before taking the guitar out of my hands. I tried to talk but I could only gasp for air. "Talk to me Jennifer. What's happening?" Mike asked with a worried gaze in his eyes. I couldn't answer so I just tried to focus on breathing. After a minute, I was alright. "I'm glad that's over. I couldn't breathe," I said when I was able to speak. "I wonder what made the floor so slippery. Peter!" Mike roared. Peter walked downstairs. "What is it, Mike?" he asked innocently. "What did you clean the floor with?" Mike asked. "Water and wax. Why?" Peter asked. "Jennifer just about broke her back slipping on the floor," Mike answered. "I'm so sorry, Jennifer," Peter said nearly crying. "It's alright Peter," I tried to manage a smile.

Mike helped me up and moved me to the couch. "I'm just going to touch certain areas on your back to make sure you didn't do something really bad to it," he said before gently putting his fingers on my back and going down to my lower back. "It hurts but I don't think it's too bad," I commented. "Just keep an eye on it and let me know if it keeps bothering you," Mike replied getting me a bag of ice. He set it on my back and we spent the rest of the night watching tv together. When it started to get late, I got ready for bed. I washed the makeup off my face and brushed my teeth. Mike came up to tuck me into bed. As I got comfortable on my bed, he pulled up my sheet and cover. Mike accidentally put pressure on my back and I flinched. "I'm sorry. If you can't sleep because it hurts too much, please tell me," he said looking into my eyes. "I will. I hope Davy gets back soon," I replied. "I'm sure he's fine. Don't worry your pretty little head about him," Mike grinned. "Alright. Goodnight," I replied. "Goodnight," he said softly kissing my forehead. Mike turned off the light and I fell asleep.


	7. Looking For the Good Times

Thankfully, back pain didn't prevent me from getting a good nights sleep. When I woke up, Mike's bed was empty and Davy was still asleep. I got out of bed and went downstairs. Mike was in the kitchen making waffles. "Good morning," I said softly to not wake the others up. "Hey kiddo. How did you sleep last night?" he asked. "I slept well," I answered as I sat down at the table. "Good. Want some waffles?" Mike asked. "Yes please," I replied politely. He handed me a plate of waffles. "How's your back this morning?" Mike inquired. "It's a little better so it should be alright," I assured him. I poured syrup on my waffles and took a few bites. Davy, Micky, and Peter straggled into the room and started their breakfasts. "We've been kind of busy lately so we should do something special today," Mike suggested. "Let's go to the amusement park," Davy exclaimed. "That would be groovy," I replied. "The amusement park it is," Mike decided. We continued to eat breakfast. I went upstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth. When I was done, I went to our bedroom to get dressed. I put on shorts, a pink t-shirt, and sandals. I brushed my hair and put on a thin white headband before leaving the room. The boys emerged in t-shirts and jeans. We got inside the monkeemobile. I sat in the back with Davy and Micky. When we were buckled in, Mike drove us to the nearest amusement park.

We got there in twenty-five minutes. "It shouldn't be too crowded since it's early in the morning. If we run into any fans that are calm, we can go say hi briefly. If there is a group of crazy girls, we run back to the car," Mike told me. I nodded. I haven't thought about that kind of thing yet but it was good to be prepared. We paid for our tickets and went inside. "We should go on a fairly relaxing ride to get started," Peter advised. We went on the carousel and an antique car ride. "Now let's go on a rollercoaster," Micky said excitedly. We found one that wasn't too crazy and didn't have to wait in line. I sat between Mike and Micky. Once the worker made sure our seatbelts were secure, the ride began to move. We moved uphill in a spiral pattern. The anticipation was building. When we reached the top, we went down a steep hill really fast. I smiled and I could tell that Micky and Mike were smiling too. It is amazing to see Mike with a genuine smile on his face.

We went on a swing ride, a river rocker, and a few more rollercoasters before deciding what to do next. "Personally, I think we should go on the Star Blaster," Micky said. "Is that the one that goes up really high and then drops you really fast?" Mike asked. Micky nodded. "I'm not going with you on that one shotgun. But if you want to go on it, do it before lunch," Mike advised. "Who wants to come with me," Micky asked. Peter and Davy took a step back. "I'll go with you Micky," I offered. He smiled. "This girl has guts and I like it," Micky said putting his arm around my shoulder. We walked up to the ride. The ride operator let us in and we strapped ourselves in. "Here you guys go," he shouted as the ride lifted us up. I let out a few laughs. I'm not sure if it was because I was nervous or excited. Mike, Davy, and Peter's figures became smaller as we continued to rise. As we reached the top, my heart was pounding. The ride dropped suddenly. Micky and I screamed. Mine was the terrified scream and Micky's was the excited scream. My hair blew around my face. We were lowered to the ground.

Just before the safety vests were about to lift up, Micky screamed,"Again!" The ride operator gave into his request and we were lifted off the ground for the second time. I groaned slightly. "Be a sport Jennifer," Micky said as he saw my reaction. "I was a sport the first time though," I complained gently. Micky had a mad scientist look in his eyes when we got to the top. I braced myself for the drop. Gravity took control and we plummeted to the ground. I felt a little lightheaded because of the fast movement. To my relief, we were on solid ground. The safety vests rose off of us and we unbuckled our seatbelts. Micky and I stood up and took clumsy steps towards Mike, Davy, and Peter. Mike put his hands on my shoulders and steadied me. "I'm a little surprised you went on that with Mick," he stated. "Well, I didn't want him to have to go alone," I replied. "That's what you thought before he pulled you into round two," Davy joked. I laughed. "No, I'm alright now so that's all that matters," I replied.

We took a twenty minute sitting break for us to recover. Then, we got hot dogs from a food stand and ate them. We went on a train ride that took us around the park. We got off the train after we arrived at the spot that we boarded it. The amusement park was more crowded than it was earlier. We went on a few more rollercoasters. I spotted a log ride. "Let's check that out," I exclaimed. We had to wait a few minutes in line but it was fine. Davy, Mike, and I went in one log and Peter and Micky went in another. We sat shortest to tallest so I was between Davy and Mike. The log was forced uphill and Davy and I slid in the direction of Mike's chest. I was now pressed against Mike's chest. Davy quickly grabbed the handles and pulled himself out of my lap. "Sorry Jennifer," he said a little embarrassed. "It's okay Davy," I replied. There was a small drop and we got splashed by the water. All of us smiled. The log went through a series of twists and we prepared for a huge drop. We approached the edge and the gates to the drop opened. I grabbed onto the handles. We flew down the drop. I let out a mix of excited screaming and laughing. Mike, Davy, and I got soaked by the water. When it was time, we got off the ride and walked away from it.

Micky and Peter joined us a few minutes later. They were soaked also. "We should walk around the park for a little bit so our clothes dry faster," Mike advised. We strolled through the amusement park and picked up some popcorn and cotton candy. Each of us had a little bit of each. Peter and Davy played some games and won prizes. Peter won a giant panda stuffed animal and Davy won a stuffed horse. "Aw they're so cute," I exclaimed. "We're glad you think so because we've decided that we want you to have them," Davy replied. "Thank you so much," I said giving each of them a hug. "You're welcome," they replied.

We were just about to start leaving when a group of girls spotted us. The press and fans didn't know about me yet but that didn't matter at this point. They ran towards us. "Run," Mike yelled. We darted away from them with the stuffed animals in hand. I looked over my shoulder as I ran and saw that the group size had tripled. I got pretty worried about us getting mobbed. I ran faster out of fear. Mike glanced back at me every so often to make sure I was keeping up with them. Two older boys ran up to me and grabbed my arm. "My my you're a pretty girl," one of them said pulling me away from the guys. The other snaked his arms around my waist. I felt my anxiety level rising. "What's a pretty girl like you doing all by herself?" he asked creepily. I prayed that Mike would realize I'm not with them anymore. I was too scared to scream. "What do you two think you're doing?" a Texan voice roared from behind me. I turned around and saw Mike giving the two boys a death glare. "Stay away from her and learn how to treat women with respect," he bellowed. The boys exchanged a look a fear and ran away. Mike walked up to me and all I could manage to do is hug him. He hugged me gently and put his chin over my head. "I'm so sorry I didn't notice that you disappeared faster. They didn't hurt you did they?" Mike asked somberly. "Besides giving me a bad fright, no," I answered. "Still, next time something that happens, I'm going to hold your hand so no one can get you," he replied protectively. We released each other. "Where's Micky, Peter, and Davy?" I asked. "They should be at the parking lot by now. I told them to keep running so we could make a quick exit if it got out of hand," Mike answered.

We joined hands and walked to the parking lot. We spotted the monkeemobile and got inside. We were met with three very concerned faces. "What happened back there? Are you okay?" they asked me frantically. "Two guys pulled me away and put their arms around me. It could have been much worse if Mike didn't show up when he did and yes I'm okay," I answered. "We were really worried," Peter replied. I gave a small smile. "Let's pick up some chinese on the way home," Micky suggested. We drove away from the amusement. We stopped briefly and got the chinese food.

When we got home, the five of us ate dinner. It was super tasty! Then, we rehearsed and I had the chance to learn the background vocals for the songs on their first two albums. I went upstairs, put the stuffed panda and horse in my room, and took a shower. I put on my pajamas when I was dry and tried to comb my tangled hair. The wind from the rollercoasters made my hair messed up. I managed to get all the tangles out in seven minutes. As my hair dried naturally, I took out my dad's acoustic guitar and strummed it a few times. "That's a really great guitar your dad had," Mike said from the door entrance. "It's great but I don't know anything about playing guitars," I confessed. "I could teach you," he offered. "That would be great," I replied. Mike sat down next to me. "We should probably start with fingerings since you have the strumming figured out," he said. Mike placed my fingers on the correct strings and in a half hour I learned all the chord fingerings and started to learn some basic songs. "You're a really fast learner," he complimented. "Thanks but it was probably because I had a great teacher," I replied smiling. "Well thanks," Mike blushed. "You don't give yourself enough credit," I observed. I carefully set down the guitar. I got up behind Mike and gave him a huge hug. "Alright, you've made your point," he smiled after a few minutes. I released him and I put my guitar in its case.

We went downstairs and had some juice before bed. Micky, Peter, and Davy were tired as well because of walking around all day. All of us brushed our teeth and the boys put their pajamas on. Davy, Mike, and I walked into our bedroom, shut the door, and crawled into our beds. I pulled my sheet and blanket up and laid my head on the pillow. "Goodnight Davy. Goodnight Mike," I said sleepily. "Goodnight Jennifer. Goodnight Mike," Davy yawned. "Goodnight Jennifer. Goodnight Davy," Mike replied to both of us. He turned off the lamp and we fell asleep quickly.


	8. I Wanna Be Free

"Wake up sleepy head," a voice with a Texas drawl told me. I blinked my eyes and saw Mike leaning over me. "What times is it?" I asked wearily. "It's 10:20," he answered checking his watch. I sat up and put on a pair of socks. "I usually don't sleep in this late," I exclaimed. "That star blaster must have taken a lot out of you," Mike joked. "Tell me about it," I replied. We went downstairs and I helped myself to a chocolate doughnut and a glass of milk. "Micky is still sleeping and Davy and Peter are at the record store," he informed me. I nodded while eating my doughnut. "How late does he stay up?" I asked when I finished eating. "Around 10:30 but I guess he's so hyper during the day that he has to sleep a long time to keep up with himself," Mike answered. I grinned a little and drank my milk. "We have an interview tomorrow morning. For the first part of the interview, it will just be Davy, Micky, Peter, and myself. Then, we will explain things to everyone," he stated. "Okay," I replied. I got ready for the day and put on light blue capri pants and a white t-shirt. I brushed my hair and let it down. It dawned on me that I had to finish making the funeral arrangements. I swiped a layer of lip gloss that looked natural on my lips and put on a nice pair of sandals before going down the winding staircase.

"Mike, will you go with me to the funeral home to finish making arrangements?" I asked. "Of course babe," he answered. We got inside the monkeemobile and drove to the funeral home. Mike and I found the lady that was handling our arrangements. "You must be Jennifer Doran. I'm Mary. Please follow me upstairs," she greeted us. We seated ourselves in a conference room. "We updated your documents for our system yesterday. Could you please look this over to make sure the information is accurate?" Mary asked handing me a document. I took it from her and scanned over the document. "Everything is correct," I stated handing the file back to her. Within the span of forty minutes, we organized the caskets, flowers, newspaper announcements, and the service. Mike, Davy, Micky, Peter, and two of my uncles will be the casket bearers. "Would you be wanting to make a photo collage and or have photo albums for the wake and funeral room?" Mary asked. "Yes," I answered. "Please drop them off as quickly as you can. Also, please drop off clothes for your parents. Despite it being a closed casket service, we do it out of respect," Mary added. "I'll bring them by later today," I replied. We shook hands and Mike and I left the building. "Do you want to go to your house before our after lunch?" Mike asked. "After lunch would be fine," I answered. We drove home in silence.

We saw that Micky was finally awake and got ready for the day. Peter and Davy returned to the pad shortly after we arrived. "I'm going to take a walk on the beach," I said getting my flip flops on. Mike didn't say anything but gave me an understanding look. I went outside and strolled alongside the water. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with planning the funeral. I stopped by the shed to see Duke. His head was perked up and his ears were pointed forward. It looked like he was expecting me to visit. I walked towards Duke and put my arms around his neck. He moved his neck in a way that it looked like he was hugging me. "Oh Duke," I whispered. Duke neighed softly and rubbed my shoulder with his muzzle. "Thank you," I said gratefully. He seemed to understand. "Are you alright love?" Davy asked from the shed entrance. "I have no idea," I answered honestly. "From the way Duke is behaving around you, I don't think you're feeling too happy," he observed. "How do you know that?" I asked curiously. "Horses are very emotional creatures. They can naturally tell how you're feeling," Davy informed. I smiled a little. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit. Lunch will be in about a half hour," he grinned. I nodded and Davy walked away.

I petted Duke for a little bit and decided to take him for a short ride. I brushed him with a curry comb, combed his mane and tail, and made sure his hooves were clean. I put a bridle on Duke and led him outside for bareback riding. I secured the my helmet and mounted him with the help of a nearby rock. Duke wandered on the beach to stretch his legs. I squeezed his sides with my heals and Duke sped up to a fast trot. Cantering made me feel peaceful and free from the cares of the world. Duke galloped near the water. His powerful body made the shallow water splash. After a half hour, I dismounted Duke and led him to the shed. I rinsed him off and dried him with a towel. I led him into his stall and took off his bridle. I groomed Duke, picked his hooves, combed his mane and tail, and fed him. I petted him a few times, closed his stall door, and headed back to the pad for lunch.

Turkey sandwiches, apple slices, and glasses of water were on the table. I sat down in my spot just as the others came to the table. "Are you feeling better?" Mike asked as he sat down at the table followed by Peter, Micky, and Davy. "For the moment. All this is making me kind of uptight and stressed," I answered. "We understand. If you need some help getting the photo albums together, just ask," Peter offered. "That would be great," I replied. We ate our lunch relatively quickly and drove to my old house.

I unlocked the front door with my house key and we walked inside. The guys started taking a look around the house and I went upstairs to look for photo albums. I found them in a closet near my bedroom. I browsed through the album of my parents' wedding. Then, I came across albums from when I was a baby. I smiled fondly. We looked so happy. To think about how our lives were altered devastated me. "Did you find the photo albums?" Mike asked from downstairs. "Yes," I answered. Davy, Mike, Micky and Peter made their way upstairs and sat down next to me. I passed the baby photo album to them. "Aw," they exclaimed when they saw my pictures. "Cute as a button," Mike commented. "You sure were cute. I mean are cute," Peter corrected himself sheepishly. "I get it," I assured him. We looked at the rest of the albums.

"We should probably start eating some of the food here. We can donate the non-perishable items to the food pantry but we have to eat the perishable stuff," I suggested. "I didn't think about that. We can eat dinner here tonight," Mike replied. I went into the family room and turned on a home movie. Davy, Peter, Micky, and Mike joined me. It was cool seeing stuff that I was too young to remember like my first few birthday parties, the first time I rode a horse, and learning how to surf. I think watching the home movies helped me somehow.

I went to the kitchen to search for expired foods. I had to throw some stuff away but most of the food could be given to food pantries and we could finish up a frozen pizza and a cheesy garlic bread. I put them in the oven and put away the home movies. Mike found some plates in the cabinets and got five cans of soda out of the fridge. We ate our dinner at the table. Micky, Davy, and Peter washed the dishes while Mike and I dropped off the photo albums and clothes for my parents at the funeral home. Once we were done, Mike and I picked up the others and drove home.

"Thanks for all the help today guys," I said as we walked into the pad. "It was our pleasure," Micky replied. I went upstairs and changed into my pajamas. I yawned and walked into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. "Are you going to bed early?" Mike asked from the doorway. "Yeah, I'm pretty tired," I answered. "I bet. You've been working so hard with everything. I hope you're okay with all of this going on," he replied putting his arms around me. "I will be," I whispered into his chest. "That's my girl," Mike replied softly. We walked into our bedroom and I got settled on my bed. Mike pulled up my covers, gave me a goodnight kiss, and left me to sleep in the dark room. I fell asleep quickly.


	9. Take a Giant Step

We woke up at 6:45 to make sure we had plenty of time to get ready for our interview. Mike made us french toast for breakfast. It was delicious. "Do we have to wear anything special or will our wardrobe crew have outfits for us to change into when we get to the tv studio?" I asked. "We'll change when we get there," Davy answered. We went through our morning routines quickly and put on some casual clothes. I brushed my hair to make it easier for Kelly to work with. We left the pad at 7:30.

We arrived at the tv studio at 7:50. I was excited and a little nervous at the same time. Studio crew members showed us to to the guest star dressing rooms. Kelly found me and handed me an outfit to change into. I went into my dressing room and put on a navy blue dress and lacy-looking white flats. I smoothed out my dress and walked out of my dressing room. I sat down between Mike and Davy. All of them were wearing different colored collared shirts and dress pants. Kelly walked up behind me and combed my hair. "I'm thinking that a white headband with a bow on the side would look super cute with your outfit," she said. "That would be adorable," I agreed. Kelly set the headband on my head and put hairspray on it. "You look great," the guys exclaimed. "Thanks. You guys look very handsome," I replied. Our interview walked up to us and shook our hands. "Thank you for being able to make it on such short notice. Jennifer, we'll be introducing you before the commercial break. Would you be able to perform a song?" she asked. "We could sing a song from our new album," Mike offered. "That would be great," the interviewer exclaimed. "Which one should we do?" Micky asked. "How about You Just May Be the One," I suggested. "Works for me," they all agreed. We did a quick vocal warmup and their instruments were placed on the stage. "Are you nervous?" Mike asked me. "A little," I confessed. "We'll be right there with you," he replied giving me a half-hug. I took a deep breath and calmed down.

We moved to the spot where we would be entering from. I stood behind them as they would be called out first. It was one minute till we were on the air. Our interviewer sat down in her chair and the audience was told to make some noise. "Hello everyone and thank you for tuning it today. I have some special guests with me today. It's the Monkees," she said excitedly. Micky, Peter, Davy, and Mike walked on stage and the crowd screamed. "Thanks for coming," the interviewer said. "It's our pleasure to be here," Mike replied. "Look at all the pretty girls in the audience," Davy said. All the girls in the audience practically swooned. "I've heard that you have a new record coming out shortly," she stated. "We do. It's called Headquarters. Also, we're in the process of arranging a tour," Mike replied. "Fantastic. What will make this record different from the first two?" the interviewer asked. "We are now allowed to play our instruments on the records. We played our instruments for our last tour, but a certain man with too much creative control didn't let us. He has been fired and we are much happier," Peter answered.

"Congratulations. Rumor has it that you all have been spending a lot of time with a teenage girl. Care to elaborate?" the interviewer prodded. "We've recently adopted a teenager named Jennifer," Micky started. "Really. I wouldn't have expected this," the interviewer replied. "It was a decision we made a week ago and we are very thankful to have her in our lives," Davy said. "Is she going to be singing with you guys?" she asked. "She will be. We have her featured on lead vocals with Micky for one song and she worked as a backup singer for some songs," Mike answered. "Which one of you is her guardian?" the interviewer asked. "I am," Mike answered. "They don't call you Papa Nez for nothing then," she joked. Everyone laughed a little. "Did you bring her with you?" the interviewer asked Mike. "She's right backstage," Mike answered. "In that case, everyone please welcome Jennifer to the stage," she announced. Applause filled the room and I walked onto the stage waving a little and sat next to Mike. "It's so nice to meet you. Tell me Jennifer, what's it like living with the Monkees?" the interviewer asked. "It's a lot of fun. Each of them have their own unique personalities so it's a nice balance," I answered. "I bet. I've been told you're going to be apart of the group now," she replied. "Yes. It's kind of overwhelming since I'm stepping in after two hit albums but everything has been working out really nicely," I stated. "Of all the guys in the group, which one do you resemble personality wise?" the interviewer asked. "I think I'm mostly like Mike but honestly I'm a lot like them all," I answered. "Don't go anywhere because the Monkees and their newly adopted daughter will perform a song from their new record," the lady said. The audience cheered and we got ready to perform after the commercial break.

Mike and Peter put their guitars over their heads. Micky got behind the drums. Davy and I stood next to Peter for the backing vocals. Davy and I picked up some maracas. We each got our own microphone. The excitement of performing was rising. The cameraman started the countdown for when we would be going on the air. I smiled excitedly. "Welcome back everyone. As promised, here's the Monkees performing their new song You Just May Be the One," the host announced. We exchanged a glace and the Peter began playing the bass beginning to the song. Mike and Micky joined in with the electric guitar and drums. As Mike started singing the song, Davy and I shook the maracas to the rhythm. The audience was screaming but it wasn't loud enough that they couldn't hear the music. The song was really coming alive. Then, it was time for all of Micky, Peter, Davy, and I to sing the backing vocals. Micky sang the melody with Mike and Peter, Davy, and I sang the ah's in harmony. Before we knew it, the last chord was played. The audience got on their feet and clapped wildly. We smiled and bowed slightly. "Once again, the Monkees. We'll be right back after the commercial break," the host said. The audience clapped again and the camera was temporarily turned off. The host shook each of our hands and we were allowed to leave.

We went back to the dressing room and changed back into our normal clothes. I was still super excited from the rush I got from performing. Mike, Peter, Micky, Davy, and I met in the special guest lounge and got in the monkeemobile. We drove home. It was 10:00 when we got back to the pad. "So what did you think about performing Jennifer," Davy asked. "It was amazing. I haven't been that excited in a long time," I answered. "It gets a lot crazier when we go on tour but it's incredible," he replied. "We were lucky that the interviewer didn't ask any personal questions about the adoption," Mike said. "I'm not sure how I would respond if she did," I replied. "We'll deal with it if any issues arise, but for now let's just relax," Micky advised. "I was taking with my Aunt Kate the other day and told her that we adopted you. She really wants to meet you," Mike told me. "That's nice. Maybe we should see her before things get too crazy with the Headquarters release and the tour," I suggested. "Probably. If we can get everything packed in time, we could fly out today," Mike replied. "We could manage it," Davy said confidently. "I'll get the tickets while the rest of you get packing," Mike replied before going to the phone.

I went to my room and looked through my drawers. I packed a lot of t-shirts, tank tops, and shorts because it's super hot there. I put a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in case the evenings got cool. I grabbed a few pairs of flip flops and flats before putting them in the suitcase. I packed my toiletry items along with a purse with some money in it and a notebook if I had any songwriting ideas. I zipped it up and I was finished packing. The others finished packing and Mike got the plane tickets. A taxi was called to take us to the airport. We waited outside with our luggage. The taxi got here quickly and we got inside the taxi with our suitcases.

We paid the driver when we got to the airport. We took our bags and walked into the airport. All of us got cleared by security and dropped our suitcases off at the luggage station. Mike paid for our lunches and we ate before we went to the gate. A few people recognized us but they were calm fans. We signed some stuff and talked with them for a bit. An announcement came on over the loudspeakers saying that our flight was now boarding. Mike, Davy, Micky, Peter, and I walked onto the plane. I took a window seat and Mike sat next to me. "Have you ever been on a plane," he asked. "A few times but not recently," I answered. "The flight should be about three hours," Mike told us. "That's not too bad," Davy replied. After a little bit, the plane started moving towards the runway. The plane accelerated and we took off. I was always excited by plane rides. I spent most of the time looking out the window.

Three hours later, we landed. We managed to get our luggage and walk out of the airport without being bombarded with fans. We got a cab to take us to Aunt Kate's ranch. During the ride, I was pretty nervous. "You don't have to be so nervous. Aunt Kate will love you," Mike told me. "I hope so," I replied leaning on his shoulder. Mike smiled reassuringly. It became really dusty when we got close to the ranch. The cab stopped at a green house with a large barn next to it. We got out of the car with our suitcases and Mike paid the cab driver. The cab drove away and we took the luggage to the door.

Mike knocked on the door. A woman with tan skin and medium brown hair in a bun opened the door. "Is that you Mike?" she asked in a strong Texan accent. "It sure is Aunt Kate," Mike answered. "I'm so glad ya'll could drop by. This young lady must be Jennifer. Call me Aunt Kate," Aunt Kate replied looking my direction. "It's a pleasure to meet you Aunt Kate," I smiled. "I was so excited when Michael told me the news about adopting you. I'm tickled pink to finally be able to meet you. Come on inside everybody," Aunt Kate said. We took our suitcases and walked inside the house. It looked really cool. "Ya'll must be tired from your trip. I'll get out some chocolate chip cookies and milk," Aunt Kate said before going into the kitchen. We followed her and sat down around the table. She set out five glasses of milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. All of us helped ourselves to cookies and milk. I bit into a cookie. It was fantastic! "These are absolutely delicious," I exclaimed once my mouth was empty. "Thank ya kindly. It's not everyday I meet a city slicker with such good manners. You were raised mighty fine," Aunt Kate replied. "She's definitely the most behaved teenager I've ever known," Mike confirmed.

After a few more cookies, Aunt Kate decided to take me on a tour of the property. She showed me the goats, horses, great places to ride the horses, and places where deer are found regularly. There were so many horses. I got introduced to the farmhands that help Aunt Kate take care of the property and animals. Mike, Davy, Peter, Micky, and I took a nap before dinner.

Two hours later, we were woken up in time for dinner. We walked to the kitchen. There was chicken fried steaks, cheesy potato casserole, green beans with bacon, and lots of biscuits on the table. "I figured that I would give you a taste of what real homemade cooking is like in Texas. Chicken fried steak is a traditional Texan food and biscuits for every meal is a must," Aunt Kate informed me. We prayed, helped ourselves to the food, and began eating our delicious meal. "Well Aunt Kate, your food is mighty fine," Mike said. Peter, Davy, Micky, and I agreed. Aunt Kate told us family stories after we finished dinner. Mike blushed when Aunt Kate told me how cute he was as a baby. It was pretty funny. "Mike's cousins Clara and Lucy will be stopping by in a couple days," Aunt Kate informed us. "It will be swell to see them again," Mike replied. Before we went up to bed, Aunt Kate pulled me aside. "Tomorrow, you will be gettin' a big surprise," she said. "Wow! Thank you so much," I replied. "It's my pleasure darlin'. You best be heading to bed so you're not tired in the morning," Aunt Kate advised. "Goodnight Aunt Kate," I replied. "Goodnight Jennifer," she said before I went upstairs. I went through my usual night routine and put on my pajamas. We got into our beds and fell asleep.


	10. Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day

All of us woke up at 8:00. I went into the bathroom to change into some clothes. I put on a blue tank top and dark blue shorts. I completed my outfit with a flowy white vest over the tank top. Mike and I went downstairs first. "Good morning Aunt Kate," I said when I saw her around the corner. "Mornin' y'all," Aunt Kate replied. Biscuits and gravy, country potatoes, scrambled eggs, and bacon were on the table along with pitchers of milk and orange juice. "In Texas, we always have plenty of food for each meal. Has Mike been feedin' you alright?" asked Aunt Kate. "He sure has. I have to make sure he doesn't give me too much if anything," I answered. "Good boy Michael," Aunt Kate replied patting his cheek. We dug into our delicious breakfast. By the time we were finished, I was stuffed. "I couldn't eat another bite," I exclaimed. Mike and I went upstairs to brush our teeth. "So what do you think of Aunt Kate's cooking?" he asked me. "It's great. I just can't eat that much," I answered. "Aunt Kate always thinks we're too skinny," Mike chuckled. We walked into the bathroom and brushed our teeth. I brushed my hair and we went downstairs together.

While we were gone, Davy, Micky, and Peter brushed their teeth in the downstairs bathroom. "I'll be settling some things about the oil on my land most of the day so y'all can feel free to go on a long trail ride or whatever y'all feel like doin'," Aunt Kate said. "Micky and I can come along to keep you company," Peter volunteered. "That would be mighty fine," she replied. They saddled up some horses and rode into town. "I bet you would love to go on a trail ride Jennifer," Mike assumed. "I would love to," I replied excitedly. Davy, Mike, and I headed into the barn and looked at the horses. I decided to take a dark brown mare on the trail ride. We groomed our horses and saddled them up for the ride. Mike, Davy, and I put cowboy hats on to blend in. Plus, it was a really different experience for us. We mounted our horses and took off into the rocky land.

It was unlike any trail ride setting I had ever been in. The cross country feel made it very authentic. We dismounted to stretch our legs. I wandered a few feet away from Mike and Davy to take a look at a nearby corral. I put my foot on a rock to get a better view. All of a sudden, a rattlesnake shot out from beneath the rock and bit my right ankle. I yelled out in pain. "What is it?" Mike asked me before rushing over to me. "I got bit by a rattlesnake," I stuttered. I've never seen Mike look this scared before. "Davy man get over here," he yelled. "What is it?" Davy asked running towards us. "She got bit by a rattlesnake. Bring me my backpack," Mike instructed. Davy sprinted back and brought him the backpack. "Okay Jennifer, you have to sit down so the venom doesn't travel faster into your bloodstream," Mike told me calmly lowering me to the ground. He reached into the backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. He opened it, brought it to my lips, and I drank some slowly. "Davy, take off her socks and shoes so they don't cut off her circulation if it swells really big," Mike instructed. Davy did as he asked. Mike washed the bite with water and immobilized my ankle as well as he could. I felt really dizzy and slumped to the ground. Davy put his fingers on my wrist. "Her pulse is pretty fast," he said worriedly. "You need to try to calm down Jennifer. Tell me what's happening," Mike commanded gently. "I feel really dizzy, I can't really see that good, and I feel really hot," I answered. "We need to get you to the hospital. The nearest one is ten miles away so we'll have to get there by horse," he replied.

Mike lifted me up with ease and whistled for our horses to come to us. They trotted over. "Jennifer's horse Sapphire will be able to get back to the ranch by herself as long as I let out a long whistle. Davy, do you think you could manage to ride with Jennifer in front of you? You're a better rider than I am and could get Jennifer to the hospital faster," Mike assumed. "Of course I ran ride with another person in front of me," Davy replied. He mounted his horse quickly. Mike lifted me onto Davy's horse and let out a long whistle to tell Sapphire to go back to the ranch. She ran off as soon as she heard it for a few seconds. Mike mounted his horse and we raced off to the hospital. I was feeling really tired after twenty-five minutes of riding and started to close my eyes. "Stay awake Jennifer," Davy said lightly tapping my cheeks. The horses increased their pace as if they knew getting to the hospital a few seconds quicker could make a difference. After a few minutes, I couldn't stay awake any longer and slipped into unconsciousness.

Mike's POV

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jennifer slump forward and Davy caught her to position her leaning into him to stay as balanced as possible. My heart was racing. The hospital was five minutes away. I was starting to question if we were going to make it to the hospital in time. I pushed my horse to go faster and Davy did the same. I felt a small amount of relief when the hospital was in sight. I practically leaped off my horse when we reached the feeding post areas. I tied both of our horses to it and let them drink the water and food inside the trough. I patted their necks briefly to thank them for getting us here as quickly as they could. I took Jennifer from Davy's arms and burst through the hospital doors. "Someone help me please! My daughter's been bit by a rattlesnake," I shouted desperately. A group of nurses rushed over to me with a hospital bed and I set Jennifer on it. They quickly moved her into a room in the emergency room section out of urgency to start treating her. A doctor came into the room as the nurses tested Jennifer's vital signs and administered anti-venom. "How long has she been unconscious?" the doctor asked. "Ten minutes," I answered. "The patient has really low blood pressure, two puncture wounds, and is struggling to breathe," a nurse stated. "Put her on oxygen. Did she tell you her symptoms before she passed out?" the doctor inquired. "She was dizzy, tired, and had blurred vision," I answered. "Yeah that's classic rattlesnake bite symptoms. Hook her up to an IV with anti-venom, hydrating fluid, and something to get her blood pressure back to normal," the doctor ordered. The nurses quickly set up the IV, stuck the needle into Jennifer's arm, and put in a breathing tube. "We've done all we can do for now. We'll just have to see how she reacts to the treatment. Blood tests will be taken every couple of hours. We have to move her to the intensive care unit," the doctor said gravely. I swallowed and nodded briefly.

The nurses transported Jennifer to the intensive care unit. Davy and I followed them. By the time we got there, they were starting the blood test. We looked away and sat down in two of the chairs that were in the room. The nurses finished the blood test a few minutes later. "We'll let you know when we get the results," one of them said before exiting the room. Davy and I scooted our chairs next to Jennifer's bed. "I'm so sorry Jennifer," I whispered. Davy paced the length of the room. Time passed so slowly. A doctor came into the room and stood next to me. "Jennifer's blood pressure has improved slightly but we still have to monitor it.. Her oxygen level is at a very low level so we will increase the amount of oxygen in her breathing tube. We're going to have to get brain scans to see if the decrease in oxygen is causing any swelling," he said. "Okay," I replied. The nurses whisked Jennifer out of the room.

Davy looked out the window. "Do you know when your aunt, Micky, and Peter will be back?" he asked. "Not for a couple hours probably, but we have to call them," I answered. I dialled the oil company where they were at and was placed on hold for Aunt Kate to pick up. "Hello," I heard her say. "Hi Aunt Kate. It's Mike. Jennifer got bit by a rattlesnake and we're at the hospital," I informed her. "Oh dear! How's she doin'?" Aunt Kate asked. "She's been unconscious for about a half hour and the doctor said something about low blood pressure and low oxygen level," I answered. "I will be done here in a few more hours, but I can tell Micky and Peter how to get to the hospital so they can meet up with you," Aunt Kate replied. "That will be great. Come on down when you can," I said. "Of course dear," she replied and the call was ended.

The nurses returned Jennifer to the room. To my disappointment, she was still unconscious. "The doctor will be back with the results shortly," one of the nurses said before they left the room. Jennifer was looking really pale with a slight blue tint. The doctor walked briskly into the room. "There is enough swelling in Jennifer's brain to have a cause for concern so we will have to put her into surgery to have fluid removed," he told us. "But that should take care of the swelling right?" I asked worriedly. "To an extent. If we find that the swelling is still large enough, we'll give medication through the IV to reduce it," the doctor answered. "How soon does the surgery need to be done?" Davy asked. "As soon as possible. She is in a near-coma state already," the doctor answered quickly. I signed the form that gave permission for her to go into surgery and receive any necessary treatment. Davy and I were forced outside so the nurses could put a hospital gown on Jennifer.

Within a few minutes, we were called back into the room. "You two can have a moment with her before she goes into surgery," a nurse said understandingly. The other nurses followed suit and left the room. "You'll be okay Jennifer. We'll be here for you when you get out of surgery. All of us love you," I murmured. "Duke and Sapphire love you too," Davy added. I smirked and kissed Jennifer's forehead. Davy kissed her cheek. The lead nurse knocked on the door before walking into the room. "You can follow us down to the operating room and I'll show you where your waiting area will be," she said holding onto the bed and pushing it out of the room. We followed the group of nurses to the station where the put the patient under anesthesia. It was administered and we continued down the hallway where the waiting area was. Davy and I sat down in the chairs and watched Jennifer being taken away. It was a helpless feeling that I couldn't do anything to help her at this point.

Peter and Micky came down to our waiting area a half hour later. All of us shared a group hug. "When did the surgery start?" Micky asked. "About a half hour ago," I answered. "I knew snake bites could be fatal, but I didn't think they were this fatal," Peter said. "Most people are okay once anti-venom is administered," I replied. None of us knew what to say to each other. We sat in silence until a doctor came into our waiting area two hours later. "The good news is that the fluid was successfully removed from the brain. The bad news is that she is comatose," he stated. "What made her go into a coma?" Peter asked. "When the body knows that something is really wrong with it, it shuts itself down until it heals. In Jennifer's case, her body knew that enough oxygen wasn't in her system so it shut down," the doctor answered. "Do you have any idea when she'll wake up?" I asked. "It's pretty unpredictable. She's lucky even to have survived this long with such low oxygen levels. There is a chance she can come out of this okay and there's a chance the swelling could backfire or her body is starved from oxygen too long," the doctor answered carefully. "So is there anything else that can be done for her?" Davy asked. "We'll be giving her a high flow of oxygen through her breathing tube and increase it if necessary," the doctor answered before taking us to Jennifer's room upstairs.

Thankfully, Jennifer didn't look any worse but even that didn't tell us too much. Davy, Micky, and Peter left to get some lunch for us. I went to Jennifer's bedside and knelt down next to her. "You have such a knack for getting in dangerous situations. But you always pull through. You've made our lives better since we found you. You're very kind-hearted, talented, patient, funny, and loving. I can't imagine life without you now. Please stay," I said desperately before a tear fell from my eye. I heard footsteps come into the room. "It's only me Michael.," Aunt Kate said walking closer to me. I quickly wiped the tears of my face. "You haven't cry since the time you saw your momma cry. She's a very special girl," she said putting her hands on my shoulders. "The doctors aren't sure if she'll make it," I sobbed. "She loves you guys so dearly that she'll do anything she can to stay. If I didn't know she was your adopted daughter, I would have been sure that she was your biological daughter. She's a lot like you you know," Aunt Kate replied. I thought about what she said and realized that Jennifer is a lot like me. "Your friends will be here soon. Freshen up in the bathroom. I'll stay here with her," she stated. I walked to the bathroom, put water on my face before drying it off, and went back to the room.

Micky, Peter, and Davy were back with food. I took a sandwich and a drink. We ate our lunch and each of us spent individual time with Jennifer as well as being together till 7:00 when visiting hours were over. "Only one of you can stay overnight," a nurse said. "You stay with her Mike. We'll be back in the morning," Davy told me. All of them hugged me before they exited the room and rode back to the ranch. The nurse changed the couch into a bed for me and told me where stuff like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and snacks could be found in the family lounge area. I decided to not bother with disposable pajamas but brushed my teeth for the night. I returned to Jennifer's side when I was done. I sat down next to her and remebered how I sang to her when she was upset. I decided to sing the song I wrote recently but haven't shown anyone. I began to sing softly.

Well, I've known for a long time  
The kind of girl you are  
Of a smile that covers teardrops  
The way your head yields to you heart

Of things you've kept inside  
That most girls could not bear  
I've known you for a long time  
But I've just begun to care

I've known of all the heartaches  
I've known of all the pain  
I've seen you when the sun shines  
And I've seen you when it rains

I've seen you make a look of love  
From just an icy stare  
I've known you for a long time  
But I've just begun to care

Oh, I know I've been blind  
To not have loved you all this time  
But the image of you was not clear  
I guess I've been standing too near

Oh, it's taken me a while  
But I have finally found  
What you are to me  
And that's what really counts

What you are to me  
Is something we can share  
I've known you for a long time  
But I've just begun to care

Oh, I know I've been blind  
To not have loved you all this time  
But the image of you was not clear  
I guess I've been standing too near

And it's taken me a while  
But I have finally found  
What you are to me  
And that's what really counts

What you are to me  
Is something we can share  
I've known you for a long time  
But I've just begun to care  
Yes, I've known you for a long time  
But I've just begun to care

I stroked Jennifer's cheek and kissed her forehead before making myself comfortable on the makeshift bed. I pulled up the blanket and turned off the lights in hope of Jennifer surviving and possibly waking up tomorrow.


End file.
